Mine
by N.V.9
Summary: Sasuke is a submissive wolf, wishing for something more in life. But when Naruto comes to town, the dream he wanted is close to coming true.
1. Chapter 1

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

In a world filled with wolves were males out number females, things are bound to happen. For instance, submissive males are able to carry young right along with females. Their bodies changing for those brief six months that they carry the young, only to change back once the pup was born. Though their bodies are unable to produce milk, their dominant would make arrangements with other females in their pack for the nectar to feed their young.

No one knew who was going to be a dominant or not. Before the age of ten, they were simply children. Running, playing, enjoying life. Their minds not yet understanding the need to take control or follow orders as they grew with other children and went to school with them.

On their tenth birthday, their minds begin to change, developing faster then their bodies. At ten they begin to try and control their groups or simply wait for another to make a decision. Their parents watching and waiting to see how they'll react to others. Once seen, the dominant wolves were pulled from the children and sent to a nearby school where they could learn to control their urges.

As both groups grew, they all soon begin to notice the other and quickly paired off after the dominant males begins to show favor to any submissive males or females, or the few females that became dominants. After a period of wooing, the dominants would claim their mate and forever more fight any other dominant that went close to their counterpart.

At school, dominants would teach the future dominants and submissive would teach the children under ten and all submissive.

Many times by the age of fifteen, the mated pairs would already be expecting. Any pregnant wolf would then be pulled from all activities that could harm their child and taken to the left side of their schools to learn about child baring and caring. None of this was looked down upon, the parents of each submissive even aided their young in gaining the most dominant of mates. The submissive would then give up going beyond high school and simply settle down to raise their young after they graduated, many times giving up school all together. To go on would only anger and cause problems as their dominant male tended to want to keep their little family close at hand, protecting them and providing for them as was their right.

The dominant fathers to be would be given a new class of what to expect and would have to make plans and find a female that would willingly give milk for their young to come, and through it all, they continued on with their education.

For the most part, both wolves were simply teens aging and growing as they created their own packs and followed their newest alpha.

**{:}**

Sasuke sat on the counter within the boys bathroom at his school, with one of his best friends, as said boy rested his hands upon the black marble and had a mini break down. His head was slumped causing his hair to fall over his face as his slim frame trembled.

"Neji?" Sasuke said quietly as the male let out a choked sob. "It won't be that bad."

"Don't lie to me." Neji said never lifting his head as he rubbed at his eyes. "You know how it's going to be. I'm going to be moved to the left side now. I'm going to have to give up on my dream of becoming a part in my uncle's company."  
"Neji-" Sasuke tried as he reached out a hand to place on the long haired teen. It was weird that the side of the school that the pregnant teens would go, would be called the left side instead of something else. Sasuke thought it was to make it seem more innocent and nonthreatening as possible, but it still sounded stupid.  
"I wanted to be different. I wanted to be one of the few teens that went beyond what was expected of me. I wanted to be an equal in mine and Gaara's relationship. Instead I'm just another sixteen year old that got knocked up."

"Neji-" Sasuke tried again as the boy ran agitated hands through his hair.

"Now while Gaara is going on to college and making a living, I'm going to be at home raising kids. Do you know what Gaara did when he smelt the difference today? Do you?"

"No." Sasuke said.

"He smirked and kissed me before dropping me off at school and going across the street to his own!" Neji yelled as new tears fell. "I'm a month along now. Soon others are going to smell it growing in me. He never wanted me to go to college. He always said that it was his job to provide for us but..."  
"Neji." Sasuke said again as he pulled the sobbing teen into his arms. "So your plans were pushed aside. Maybe Gaara would-"

"Gaara is one of the more dominant of the wolves. He's right under Hidan and next to Kiba. He already has a plan set in his mind. He is more controlling out of any of the other wolves here, besides Hidan and Kiba. How could I have gotten pregnant? We always used protection and I took the pills that Iruka sensei gave us in homeroom. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet."

"Neji, those aren't fool proof. Accidents happen." Sasuke said running a hand down the other's back. He had no idea what Neji was going through. He'd yet to accept any dominate males himself, making it easier to accomplish his own goals in life. Like Neji, he had refrained from caving into a males advances, so as not to end up pregnant, and pushing his own dreams aside to raise their young. It was one of the most promising solutions for any submissive wolf. But like many of their kind, Neji had met Gaara. When the red headed wolf had moved into the dominate school Neji had seen him and fallen hard. Instantly he had accepted his proposal when Gaara had danced with him during the full moon. Not a week later, Neji had appeared with Gaara's mark somewhere on his body and his scent mixing with his own. Two months later, Neji was having his mental breakdown.

"My life is over." Neji whispered holding tightly to Sasuke. "I told Gaara my dream, I thought he understood."

"Gaara respects your dreams. I doubt he planned this, and I know he won't regret it. It's in his blood to want to get you with a child. He was fighting himself every time he used a condom." Sasuke said trying everything to calm the teen. "Itachi went through this too with Hidan-"  
"As did Haku and Deidara, but they wanted to get pregnant." Neji cut him off. "I know those three grew up together and planned to do everything together but did they all have to mate the same male and get pregnant at the exact same time?"

Sasuke knew how odd that sounded. Everyone in their town found it odd that Hidan, who ran this generation, had mated three of the most sought after teens, claiming them on their first meeting and getting them all with a child within their first night.

No one had been more shocked then the parents of those three but then again, Sasuke wasn't really surprised. Those three did everything together, they were bound to choose the same male as well. He wouldn't be surprised if they all gave birth within minutes of each other if not all on the exact second. None of their parents were complaining. It was their goals in life to set their young up only with the best of the best and they got that with Hidan.

People were still trying to process this. Hidan was an unknown wolf that came from nowhere only five months ago. The day he arrived, the other dominate wolves had reacted like submissive wolves.

To the shock of the submissive wolves watching from their own lunchroom through the giant window, the dominate wolves, even the teachers had bowed their heads and shrunk their bodies to appear smaller. Some had even looked away and showed their necks as he had walked by. Sasuke would bet if they were in their wolf form, they would have all rolled over and exposed their belly. When Itachi, Haku, and Deidara had seen him they had quickly made their presence known to him and now five months later, they were close to giving birth to their young. Only one more month to go, and Sasuke would be an uncle.

"Well Hidan isn't complaining." Sasuke said letting Neji pull away to wash his face of tears. "He's proud of the fact that half the school that wanted them can't have them now. But Itachi, Deidara, and Haku did say that they would only choose the most dominate male to get them with pups."

"The most dominate wolf was Kiba and before him, Zabuza." Neji said.

"Yes but Zabuza choose Mei as his years ago. I heard she's on her second or was it third pup?" Sasuke pondered before going on, "And Kiba wasn't wolf enough to handle those three."

"He can barely handle Shikamaru and has been trying at every turn to get that lazy wolf pregnant." Neji said wiping the water off gently with a towel that was neatly piled to the side of every sink.

"Meaning Shikamaru's too smart for Kiba and avoids him at crucial moments of the month." Sasuke said jokingly before realizing what he said.

"Meaning I don't." Neji glared.  
"I didn't mean that." Sasuke said quickly. "I-"

"Just stop. Sasuke I don't want you to be the one I snap at. You're my friend and I know you're only trying to cheer me up, I think, so let's just move on. I mean, I'm a month along now, because Gaara smelt it today so in another few days everyone else will be able to smell it." Neji said bitterly. "Just when my uncle had finally decided to let me, a submissive wolf, be part of his biggest treasure."

"Neji, imagine the life you just created with the one you love." Sasuke said quietly. "You and Gaara just made something special and the day he or she will be born, you're not going to look back on anything. This will seem like nothing then."

"Maybe...but now, now my life feels like it's ending. Don't pull a me, Sasuke. Don't let any dominant take your body like Gaara did mine. Don't give them your heart or your soul. Pretend they don't exist for as long as you can." Neji whispered before walking out the door and leaving Sasuke alone.

Not knowing what to say to that or think, Sasuke looked at himself in the mirror. Unlike Neji and very much like his brother, he would like to one day have a family of his own. If it happened in high school or in college, he didn't really mind. He had his goals, he wanted to be one of the first submissive wolves that lead something instead of followed, but if he found the right dominant, the right wolf that loved him and didn't wish to control him... that didn't simply want him because of his last name, Sasuke would willingly give up his dream for the male that he would proudly call his husband, his mate, his life. He would proudly carry their young within his body and love them with all his heart.

With a sad sigh, he realized that here, he most likely wasn't going to find that male. None of them met what he wanted. He, like Itachi, wanted only the most dominant of wolves and to know that he and any future young were always cared for. That no matter the threat, they would always be protected.

Grabbing Neji's discarded towel, he folded it and put it inside the used bin to be washed at the end of the day. "I doubt I'd have to worry about someone claiming me, Neji," he whispered, "No one here is what I'm looking for." With that he left the bathroom and followed Neji to class, never knowing that he had unknowingly lied to himself.

**{:}**

Naruto looked around in boredom as he pulled his car to a stop in the middle of the empty road and frowned. This was the place Hidan had told him to come to? A town that was to die for was actually a small little nothing in the middle of nowhere. It was so small that Naruto feared he could have blinked and he might have missed the turnoff sign. If he sneezed he could have sped right passed the town itself.

"Konoha." he said to himself as he removed his sun glasses and tossed them to the passenger seat. Maybe Hidan was going mental. What could he possibly have found here that was worth staying for? Only three nights ago, Naruto had gotten a _call_ from the old Alpha of their pack, who had left for personal reasons leaving Naruto in charge, telling him to come to him. Naruto was too loyal to his Alpha to refuse any order of Hidan's, even if they were close in power, and so had left the pack in the hands of Sora and his chosen female, Fuuka, for the time being. With a roll of his eyes at the green boring town, though better then his own dried up home, he put the car into gear and drove on. "Better know what you're doing wolf." he said to the silence of the car.

**{:}**

By lunch time, Sasuke saw that Neji had calmed some, or looked like he did. He was more composed and seemed as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Had he finally accepted his new fate? Or was he still in shock and pretending it wasn't happening?

"Why are you thinking so hard?" Shikamaru sighed beside him as he rested his head on his arms at the lunch table.  
"Oh did the mighty lazy wolf finally say something?" Sasuke asked with a gasp.

"You're sarcasm is dully noted and ignored." Shikamaru yawned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "What's up with Neji? He's acting weird today."

"I haven't noticed anything." Sasuke said smelling the lie even as he said it. Of course he seen and knew what was going on.

"...Right..."

"He'll tell you when he's ready." Sasuke said instead and lifted his head as his brother's scent made it's way toward him. Turning his head he spotted his very pregnant brother walking with Deidara and Hidan. It was still so weird to see the three once slim, perfectly sculpted males with round bellies and baby fat growing on them. It didn't take away from the beauty, to Sasuke, it was like it added more. They glowed and smelt content with the way their lives were going. Sasuke figured it would be one or two more weeks before Hidan would hole them up in his home as they waited to give birth. He knew for a fact that when the time came, Hidan would choose one other wolf to guard the outside of his home while he waited on the inside for his pups to come. It would have to be an unattached male since the ones that had mates would be too distracted. What wolf would Hidan choose?

The dominant females were out since they had all taken dominate mates, the last one taken a few days ago.

It could be Kimimaro, he had yet to choose a mate and was more of a loner. Of course he wasn't the strongest wolf and so would be taken out if someone wished to attack Hidan and his mates. He may not fall right away but Sasuke didn't think Kimimaro could stand to fight for weeks straight.

Suigetsu? No, that wolf may have been a top under Kiba and Gaara but he had problems following orders not to mention he wanted Haku way before Hidan came to town. Once the wolf was claimed, Suigetsu had quickly went down hill and refused most things that weren't a direct order from their Alpha. Sasuke figured that once Suigetsu graduated school, Hidan would kick him out of his pack, doing so only because Suigetsu's parents had begged him to keep the wolf until then.

Omoi could be chosen, but Sasuke highly doubted it. He may have been a dominant but that wolf tended to want to avoid fights and when he couldn't, he tended to attack everything. Sasuke doubted Hidan would trust Omoi not to attack his mates.

"Can you think any harder, little brother?" Itachi asked as he took his seat across from them and thanked another wolf once a tray was placed in front of him and the other two.

"Do I have a sign that says 'thinking'?" Sasuke asked as Deidara sniffed at the lamb on his plate before taking a small bite and nodding his approval.

"You don't need one, you can see it on your face." Haku said gently as he munched on his stake. Itachi, himself, ate a beef stew. All pregnant wolves tended to get what they were craving. Watching them eat their food and then looking down at his sloppy joe, Sasuke wanted to say he was pregnant just to get some good looking food. "Where's Neji?"

"Not here." Shikamaru sighed as he stole a piece of steak from Haku's plate. "God, halfway makes me wish I was carrying."

"Kiba still hasn't gotten you yet?" Deidara grinned.

"Not for lack of trying." Shikamaru grinned. "Neji said he was going to speak to Iruka sensei about something."

"Oh, so Sasuke what were you thinking?" Haku asked with a gentle smile that never seemed to leave his face. Out of the three, Haku was the kindest and most considerate, but it didn't mean he was a complete pushover.

"About who your watchdog is going to be." Sasuke said waiting expectantly for an answer as all three looked at one another. "Do you even know?"

"Actually, Hidan hasn't said who he has chosen." Haku answered.

"He just said not to worry about it." Deidara shrugged. "We trust him enough not to question him."

"Do you know if it's anyone here?" Shikamaru asked.  
"No, well, I'm not sure. No one has come forward." Itachi said. "For all we know it can be a wolf from somewhere else."

"This is exciting isn't it?" Deidara asked with a hand on his belly. "I mean in a few weeks we'll be preparing to give birth and then we'll be parents!"

"You'll also be giving up your school life and your education." Neji said sitting down without a tray. "You'll be forced to say good-bye to all of this." he added with a wave of his hand.

"Yes," Itachi nodded, "but we'll be gaining so much more with this." he patted his own belly. "Them. I don't mind giving up school if it means I'll be able to care for my pup or create more with the male we love."

"We won't ever have to fear anyone attacking Hidan to try and claim us because no one is that stupid." Deidara said cutting into his lamb. "Hidan makes even Madara seem weak. And Madara is anything but weak."

"And Hidan will provide well for us. Being Alpha of our pack means he'll never have to fight to make a living. He's already set in life. His presence alone has made us stronger too. Even the submissive wolves are getting bold." Haku smiled.

"But-"

"Neji, being pregnant isn't a curse. It's a blessing." Haku went on. "Your life changes but not all changes are bad. When you become pregnant you'll see."

"I am." Neji said quietly.  
"What?" Shikamaru blinked in shock. "Say that again, I'm sure-"

"I am. Gaara smelt it on me today." Neji said looking out their window and spotting the red head in question as he sat with Kiba and Hidan, all three wearing the black uniforms that was required of the dominants. The submissive wolves wore white and the pregnant wolves wore grey. Hidan sat on the table as he rested his feet on the bench and his chin on his hands. He looked like he was waiting for something or one. Gaara sat to his right with his head resting on one hand and Kiba sat to his left with his left side of his face resting flat against the table and his arms stretched out. Both were looking the way Hidan was. "Now that I know, I already feel the changes. My stomach feels heavier. I didn't realize before, but when Gaara...I began to feel the difference in my body."

"No way!" Deidara shouted in shock before slapping a hand over his mouth at Neji's glare. "This is so exciting. In five more months-"

"I don't want to think about it." Neji said quickly looking away.

"He's not ready to accept it yet." Sasuke said for his friend as Neji turned back to the male responsible for his situation.

"Neji, this is great news." Haku smiled reaching over and taking one of his hands. "Give it a few days and you'll see."

"But I wanted to wait until after I made a living. I wanted to be something." Neji said bitterly.

"We all want to be something." Itachi said bringing Neji's, Sasuke's, and Shikamaru's eyes to him. "Deidara wanted to be a world wide artist. Haku wanted to be a dancer and I wanted to travel and photograph the world. That was our plan for the longest time."

"You were waiting for a dominant of dominants though." Neji said.

"Yeah, but we never thought we'd find him. Actually we never thought we'd find _one_ him. We all assumed we'd find one each but then Hidan came to town and, well, we knew what we wanted and we went for it." Deidara grinned. "Never thought we'd get the same male."

"Wait, so you guys weren't looking for the same guy?" Sasuke asked as he gaped at them. Heck he thought they had planned the whole thing.

"We wanted a guy not to big but not smaller then us either." Deidara smirked. "Hidan may not be bigger then Gaara or Kiba in height or size but he is still dominant enough to force them to their knees."

"That and we were all looking for a guy that would be able to keep us safe. Love us. Give us strong pups and a male that would never cause us worry if he was challenged." Haku said. "When we saw Hidan we wanted him. Though at first we were trying to outdo one another to get him, but in the end we all somehow got claimed."

"You know, I don't even know how that happened." Itachi admitted. "One minute we were running through the forest and the next-"

"We can picture it." Shikamaru said quickly as the three older males grinned.

"Who is that?" Neji asked bringing their gaze toward the window again. Sasuke blinked as he saw a blonde male, as slim as Hidan and only an inch or so shorter then the silver haired male. So he was at least three inches taller then himself. The male was wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt. On his feet he wore black boots and over his eyes he wore black sunglasses. Over all he was gorgeous. Sasuke had never seen a male so perfect. His body tightened just watching him move. Who was he?

"I don't know. I never seen him." Haku said pushing his chair back to walk to the window with the rest of the school. "The dominants don't seem to threaten but they aren't ignoring him either."

"It might be because he's new." Sasuke said as he watched the male walk by the dominants as if they weren't there. Even to him that one sentence sounded wrong.

"No," Itachi shook his head as they crowed the window. "if they didn't deem him a threat they would turn and if they deemed him a threat they would be growling. They would possibly even attack if he got any closer."

"It looks like even they can't place his strength." Deidara said "They don't know whether he's dangerous or not."

"Hidan doesn't seem too worried." Haku said drawing their attention from the male to their alpha. "Can't say the same for Kiba and Gaara."

Ignoring what they were saying, Sasuke turned his attention back to the blonde male and waited for what he would do.

When the blonde stopped a foot away, he removed his glasses and said something to Hidan as he gestured to the two growling wolves behind him. Whatever he said seemed to anger Kiba as the brown wolf stood from the table.

Even from here, Sasuke could feel his aura surrounding him. Kiba was alpha in the past for a reason and this was it. Sasuke had seen Kiba fight. He was strong and deadly. It was the reason Shikamaru had made himself known to the other. Gaara was the same in a fight. No one was sure who would win between the two and Sasuke doubted anyone would ever see it so long as Hidan held the top spot. With Hidan leading them, they had no reason to fight for leadership of the pack.

Turning his attention back to the blonde male he watched in silence as the wolf smirked and put his glasses on the inside pocket of his jacket. With a tilt of his head, Kiba attacked. In a flash, the tan male tossed out his arm and caught him around the neck before throwing him into a table nearby. Not a second later Gaara attacked only to end up on the ground at Hidan's feet, in a flash he was back up on his feet, nails and fangs growing. As more wolves rose to quickly defend their Alpha, Hidan raised his hand and gestured for them to sit. With a nod of his head, he gestured the male closer.

"He took them out like nothing." Deidara said into the stunned silence of their lunch room. Neji and Shikamaru both standing with gaping mouths and wide eyes as they watched their mates fall like submissive wolves.

Sasuke nodded his head and watched as the male went to stand right were Gaara had landed.

"Is he going to attack?" Haku asked with a hand resting on his belly. "If he took them out like nothing and we can't even feel his power like we can Hidan's, does that make him more dangerous?"

"I don't know." Itachi whispered as he watched with wide eyes.

Sasuke tuned them out again. Was this male coming to take Hidan's place as Alpha? With that question running through his head he watched Hidan speak a few words to the blonde. Like the other wolves near him, Sasuke tensed as the blonde moved only inches from Hidan. A few more words were spoken from Hidan and then to their shock, the blonde bowed his head and gave him his neck. With a smirk in place, Hidan bit him, drawing blood, before pulling away.

To everyone watching, it was a sign of submission. The blonde had just aligned himself to Hidan causing everyone to breathe out a soft sigh. Sasuke wondered why one so strong would lower himself instead of taking the top spot. Sure he had seen Hidan fight, but this male, who's aura was calm and unnoticeable had taken out Hidan's top wolves in seconds.

The blonde shuddered before straightening. Ignoring the blood running down his body, he listened to whatever Hidan was saying before nodding. A few more words were passed before Hidan gestured to their window bringing the male's eyes to them. When his eyes scanned over Itachi, Deidara, and Haku, Sasuke expected him to turn away. Instead the male surprised him by looking straight into his own eyes. Never before had he seen such blue eyes in his life. They spoke a language that Sasuke wanted to figure out. It was as if he and this male were lost in their own world and no one could enter.

Him, he thought, this was the male that would father his pups. This is the male that he would stand beside. To his disappointment, Hidan took the blonde's attention away from Sasuke and seconds later the blonde was gone. Never once looking back.

"I think we found your guard dog." Shikamaru said to the silence of the room. "I doubt even the hell hounds themselves could ever get passed him."

**{:}**

As school went on, all the submissive could talk about was the newest wolf to their pack. Much to Sasuke's anger, the ones that had yet to accept a dominant were already making plans to gain the blonde's attention. As if he'd let them take what was his, Sasuke thought. The blonde was going to be his. Those eyes had met his own, giving Sasuke the advantage over the others because the blonde had noticed him first.

Now all he needed to do was plan his next move. Which is why he was seeking out his brother on the side of the school non pregnant wolves weren't supposed to be. Lifting his head, he inhaled as deeply as he could, sorting out other scents until he found his brother.

With quick steps, Sasuke sneaked passed doors and wolves to find the classroom that hid his brother away. Toward the end of the hall he found Itachi sitting with Deidara, Haku and a few others as they copied down what was on the board. Not paying attention to what they were writing, Sasuke looked around for a teacher. To his relief none were in the class room. Knocking softly on the door, he gained all of their attention.

When Itachi lifted his brow, he gestured for him to come before taking off down the hall and hiding in a bathroom. Minutes later, Itachi walked in alone.

"Is there a reason you are skipping?" Itachi asked quickly. "Sasuke if they find you here you could get in-"

"I know, I need your help though." Sasuke said quickly.

"With what?" Itachi asked as he moved to sit on one of the chairs in the bathroom. With one hand on his belly and the other on the arm of his chair, he lowered himself and waited for Sasuke to go on.

"I want to gain the blonde's attention." Sasuke said as he blushed bright red. When Itachi said nothing, he turned his gaze to meet his brother's unblinking stare. "Can you help me?"

"Sasuke, if Hidan brought him here to guard us, he won't be happy that you're trying to be claimed by him." Itachi answered.

"I know, but what about after the pups come? He can claim me then." Sasuke said moving quickly to kneel in front of his brother. Resting both of his hands against his brother's belly he watched in awe as he felt the baby move. One day, he'd be in Itachi's place. He'd have a child growing in him and if he was lucky he'd have the blonde as his mate. "How did you get Hidan?"

"Can you wait that long though?" Itachi asked ignoring his question. "There are other wolves already making themselves ready to be known by him. I wouldn't be surprised if the unmated wolves ditched the rest of school to go and find him."

"He won't go for them." Sasuke said hoping that was true.

"How do you know?"

"None of them will meet his standards. They have nothing to offer him. All dominants take a mate that could give them something. Our last name is one thing he could claim a connection to." Sasuke hated to rely on his name alone but he was willing to do anything to make the blonde his.

"Hinata could offer the same connection and she's a dominant wolf." Itachi stated.

"Shino claimed her two days ago. I saw her walking with him and smelt his mark on her." Sasuke said quickly. Hinata, as of yesterday, was the only dominant female not claimed by anyone, if Shino had not taken her, then Sasuke would worry. Dominant males usually looked toward dominant females before submissive wolves. Which was why all submissive went beyond themselves to gain their mates. Most times submissive, here, would win the mate they desired. "It's why they haven't been here."

"Really? I would have thought, never mind." Itachi said shaking that thought away. "I suppose we are going to have to buy new clothes for their ceremony." he went on.

"Can you help me get the male? If anyone could do it, you could." Sasuke lowered his head until he spoke into Itachi's belly. With his eyes, he begged for help from the one wolf that could give him what he wanted. He could care less about Hinata and Shino. They were just wolves that meant nothing to him right now. The blonde was the one that meant his future.

"Hidan will be angry if he finds out I'm helping you." Itachi said pretty much agreeing.

"I won't tell him and I'll even keep the male from claiming me until after the pups are born. I just need him to want me and no one else. To wait for me until after." Sasuke said with a grin taking over his face.

"Okay, Hidan will most likely want us to meet him today, so come to our place instead of going home. I'll call Mother and drop a few hints. Before the end of the week, she and Father will most likely of heard about him and then they'll make themselves known to him too. Making it easier for you to catch his favor. After all Uchiha blood is one of the most sought after in the whole world." Itachi said, "Father will jump at the chance to put you with the newest dominant."

"Is that how you got Hidan?" Sasuke asked surprised about how much Itachi had already thought this through. Was his brother already planning to get him with the new male?

"No," Itachi grinned, "Deidara, Haku, and I saw Hidan when he came to our town like the rest of you. All three of us wanted him for our own and even went so far as to almost attack one another. I had no time to give my family connection. Before I knew it, Deidara had already ran to meet him as did Haku. Running after them, we met him just as he was leaving school and introduced ourselves. He smiled at all of us as he was getting into his car and asked if we wanted to go along with him. Not wishing to lose to my best friends, I jumped in first and they followed. We ended up running around the forest as wolves and the next thing I knew-"

"I don't really want to picture my brother being taken by Hidan." Sasuke said quickly.

"Anyway," Itachi chuckled, "I woke up the next morning naked with Haku and Deidara, and Hidan's mark on all of us. A month later, we were pregnant and the rest is history."

"Where was Hidan?" Sasuke asked.

"Trying to figure out how he got three mates in one night." Itachi smirked.

"So he freaked?" Sasuke said trying not to laugh.  
"He had a panic attack, but after a few hours and Deidara saying if he didn't want us we'd go find someone else..." Itachi trailed off letting Sasuke picture what happened next.

Of course Hidan would get pissed at his mates looking for another wolf to claim them, and most likely would have jumped their bodies as he made sure his scent was all over them. Even if he didn't want them to begin with, no dominant would ever let their property go.

"Now get back to class and I'll see you after school." Itachi said standing with Sasuke's help and heading toward the door. Looking out he glanced both ways before opening it wider.

"Thank you Itachi." Sasuke smiled as he hugged his brother from behind before slipping passed him and heading for his side of the school. This side was much nicer. Soon Neji would be using this side and then, hopefully, Sasuke would join him.

**{:}**

By the time the last class came and went, Sasuke was on edge. When the bell rang, he, like the rest of the wolves, pretty much ran out of the room. Some to meet their mates, others to draw attention to themselves, and then more that wanted to see the blonde again.

Throwing things into his locker, he made his way quickly outside to wait for his brother. Spotting Shikamaru get into Kiba's car, he waved to both of them as they sped out of the lot. Moments later he spotted Neji, with a new uniform bag in his arms. Neji walked to a dark green car and waited for Gaara to come to him. Sasuke watched as Gaara nuzzled at Neji's neck, running a hand over his flat belly before opening the door to let his mate in. With a satisfied smirk in place, he walked around and got in.

"Sasuke!" Deidara shouted waving a hand as he walked with the other two. "Come on!"

With his heart beating quickly, he moved to their side. "Hey."

"I'm so happy for you!" Haku grinned throwing his arms around Sasuke's neck as he tried to hug him. "This is so exciting!"

"Remember we have to wait until after the births to celebrate." Itachi reminded them.

"Yeah, yeah." Deidara waved him off. "Come on, there's Hidan."

Moments later, Sasuke arrived at Hidan's favorite pick-up with the three and waited as the silver haired male looked him over. With quick glances to the Alpha, Sasuke made himself smaller. "Sasuke, what a surprise." Hidan finally said as he kissed Haku's cheek and helped him into the back of the car. Turning to do the same for Deidara, he went on, "Can I guess you saw Naruto?"

"Naruto?" Deidara asked sticking his head back out before Hidan could close the back door, "Is that the blonde wolf?"

"Yes." Hidan nodded and pushed Deidara gently back in to shut the back door. "Now Sasuke, I can smell the want on you," at those words Sasuke blushed all over and waited for Hidan to help his brother in before continuing. "Naruto's a good male, but he won't be able to claim anyone."

"Why not?" Haku demanded. Sasuke marveled at the fact that submissive males only gained a backbone when speaking to their mates. The only time they'd question a dominant is if they were tied to them. Sasuke could never have spoken to Hidan in such a way in fear of being shown his place.

"Because he's here to guard you three-"

"Then after, he can claim Sasuke," Itachi cut him off, "He'd be lucky to have Sasuke."

"Yes, but-"

"Hop in Sasuke," Deidara grinned opening the back door, ignoring Hidan's look of annoyance. "When Naruto sees you, he'll be panting like crazy because after us, you are the next most desirable male."

"No other male better be looking at you." Hidan growled.

"They aren't." Itachi said quickly. "Can we go now, Sasuke needs to meet Naruto and I want to go lay down."

"Alpha?" Sasuke whispered bringing Hidan's gaze back to him. "May I come?"

"Please!" Deidara begged pulling Sasuke half into the truck and holding on to him awkwardly.

"Very well." Hidan said after a while and helped Sasuke in. To himself he muttered, "Hopefully this works."

Nodding, Sasuke smiled at Hidan as the male shut the door and went around. He knew Hidan was planning something but he wasn't sure what.

**{:}**

Naruto sat on the the porch swing in front of the large cottage. Hidan had really let his old life go. The wolf he remembered was all for the best and latest of everything. This place, was nothing of what he would have expected of the wolf. He hadn't gone inside, for no dominant wanted another dominant's scent in their personal space if not invited, but what he saw through the window made him raise his brows. Everything was so... country. The only technology that he caught a glimpse of was an old tv, the essentials in the kitchen and an old looking radio. He was sure there was more but he couldn't see it from his vantage points. The outside only had one trail made for a car. There was a barn like building but it was closed up and Naruto wouldn't enter without permission. The clearing around the place was small barely half an acre with the cottage included before the trees took over and surrounded it. He supposed Hidan only got this place because it was isolated and because he could run free. Hidan's scent was all over the forest and the school.

Naruto still couldn't believe Hidan had taken mates of all things. When he had met the wolf earlier at the school, he was angry by the new pack he had created. With a few barbs at the wolves that were weak compared to Hidan's first pack, Naruto had them on the ground.

In his new pack, Hidan had only four to six wolves that would have made it in his old one and yet Hidan had left them for this? He had showed Hidan what his new pack was compared to his old by taking out the top wolves. He wanted to show Hidan what he had and what he was pushing away.

The only words Hidan had said was 'we'll speak later on this'. Naruto agreed, not wanting the other wolves to know of their situation. Then Hidan had shocked him when he mentioned his mates. Not wanting to believe it, he had looked toward the building the wolf had gestured to and saw three of them. From none to three... What was Hidan thinking?

The sound of a car coming brought Naruto to his feet as he watched a truck come into view. What a shocker, he supposed Hidan was sticking to the country theme. Not wanting to fight the male when his mates went inside after their meeting, Naruto moved off the porch and waited near one of the many trees.

Waiting for it to come to a stop, Naruto ran his gaze over the wolves within and froze on the male he had seen standing by the three earlier. The wolf was beautiful. He was a wolf that any dominant would have to fight to claim and keep. Everything about this submissive was alluring. Was he also Hidan's? Hidan hadn't said how many he had, Naruto only assumed three when he saw the pregnant males. Maybe this was a newer one? Was he supposed to protect all of them?

"Naruto," Hidan called getting out of the truck. Moving to the other side of the truck he opened the door and helped all of the wolves out.

The male he had his eyes on was unmated, the scent coming off of him told Naruto that much. So he was free game then. Then it hit him, he wouldn't be able to make this male his. He felt his wolf stir at the unfairness of this and ignored it.

"These are the three I spoke of, Itachi, Haku, and Deidara."

"Pleasure," Naruto said bowing his body but never lowering his gaze. Only submissive looked away.

"Naruto." Hidan growled as his eyes flashed.

"I am only greeting them, Alpha." Naruto said innocently. "If they are yours then I must respect them."

With narrowed eyes, Hidan tried to stare him down. What a funny wolf, Naruto thought. Hidan knew better then anyone that Naruto didn't play those games. He only followed Hidan because the wolf was like his brother in all but blood. Loyalty alone had kept Naruto as his second since they were young. He had come to his brother thinking he had found Kakuzu and his followers. He did not come thinking to meet Hidan's chosen mates.

"This is Sasuke," Hidan finally went on as he gestured to the blushing wolf. Taking a small sniff, Naruto smelt the want on him. So Sasuke wanted him too, that would make things easier to claim the male. Not that he would, the second he took this little wolf back to his pack, they'd kill him. Sasuke wouldn't last a day within a pack filled with dominants. His pack was made to survive. Any submissive wolves were quickly pushed aside or killed. The only weak wolves were those under ten. Only then would the parents of those children hide them away until they were sure they would survive in their pack. Where they came from, strength was everything.

Of course, Naruto had nothing against the weaker wolves.

"Sasuke," Naruto said huskily causing the pale wolf to shiver and meet his gaze before looking away. "Many times the pleasure, little wolf."

"To you as well." Sasuke whispered quietly as he bowed his head.

"Go inside." Hidan ordered the submissive wolves, "Naruto come with me."

"Yes Alpha." the four said before doing as told. With his gaze on the younger raven, Naruto smirked when Sasuke kept looking his way before disappearing within the home.

"Do you own him?" Naruto asked as Hidan lead the way deeper into the forest.

"Sasuke is Itachi's brother, he is part of my pack." Hidan said sending him a warning look.

"As am I, or do you not count us as yours anymore?" Naruto questioned with an uncaring tone. In truth he was angry for being forgotten so easily. Every day that his brother was gone, Naruto had worried for him, only Hidan's last order had kept him from leaving the pack to search for him four years ago.

"You are of my pack as well." Hidan said quietly.

"One wolf can't have more then a single pack." Naruto stated when they stopped by a small stream. "Why did you mate? And why them? Did you forget Kakuzu is wishing our death? Your death?"

"No, I haven't forgotten him. In fact, I went searching for him and ended up here five months ago."

"How did you end up mated not once but three times?" Naruto asked watching him.

"I don't know. I made to journey through this town but I felt the pull of other powerful wolves. I met Kiba, one of the two you pushed around like pups, and a few others."

"You have a powerful pack at home." Naruto reminded him. "Were we not enough?"

"Naruto, you as well as I know that when you find other powerful dominants, you wish to own them. I tried to fight my instincts but I couldn't."

"It does not explain how you met those three and made them yours."

"I was leaving the school after speaking with the dominant wolves and they followed me to the truck. I don't know why I did it, but I invited them with me and the rest of that night is a haze. I woke up the next morning and they all carried my scent on them, a month later I smelt my young within them." Hidan said as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Tell me if you ever planned to return home." Naruto finally got out after a long silence.

"I did yes," Hidan nodded, "but not now. If the pack met my mates, they'd rip them to pieces. The pack is full of dominants. There are no submissive in it. You know this. If I took them back with me, the others would kill them and my young. It does not matter if I'm their alpha. If my mates can't defend themselves..." shaking his head he turned tired eyes to Naruto, "Who is leading it now?"

"I left it in Sora's hands for the time being." Naruto answered.

"So long as it's not Fuuka-"

"Your most devoted female has chosen him to mate with." Naruto smirked as Hidan cursed. "When you left, Fuuka was heartbroken and mated Sora only hours later in her pain. Of course once she realized what she had done, she tried to kill him and continues to do so as she waits for you."

"And Sora?"

"He finds it amusing and says the sex is just the way he likes it." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I told him he is living with his death and he told me it makes life exciting. As far as I know, she has yet to conceive a young for him. She will only bare your pups, as she says."

"Fuuka would be the first to strike them." Hidan stated going back to their topic. "I will not risk them by going back."

"What of the pack that waits for you?" Naruto said feeling anger rise again. "It has been yours since you were eleven. You and I made it into what it is, we made survivors out of them all. You would give it up for this pack? A pack that is smaller and weaker? If Kakuzu found them, he'd slaughter them all."

"Which is why you are here." Hidan said as his eyes glowed. "You and I can face them. If we add in your strength here-"

"You wish me to join this one?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "Leave the one that has been mine since I was a child?"

"Naruto-"

"Hidan, they are my pack. To turn my back on them-"

"Is that what you think I did? I left the pack to face Kakuzu. I always planned to go back as soon as I killed the man who was once my brother." Hidan snarled grabbing Naruto by the shirt and pulling them face to face. "Things happened and now I can't return."

"You shouldn't have left in the first place." Naruto said coldly as he pushed Hidan off. "We had your back and still do as we wait for you to return. Instead you are leaving us for this. We are one of the strongest packs in our region. Did you not trust us enough to face Kakuzu and his followers with you? Were we not what you needed?"

"I couldn't risk you." Hidan said. "Fuck Naruto, you're my brother, Kakuzu is stronger then us and he's building up an army that would have wiped away our pack. I wanted to save you all from death if it was just me facing him."

"But now you would risk me is that it? For your mates, I am game to die?" Naruto asked and when Hidan said nothing he went on, "I would have died for you if the battle came to be, all of us would."

"I didn't want that!" Hidan shouted. "You were all my family, I was trying to protect you!"

"Funny things about dominants, we hate being treated like we're weak." Naruto glared as he turned away from Hidan.

"I'm asking you as a friend and not your Alpha...as your brother even," Hidan said from behind him. "Join me here. With your strength added in, these wolves will get stronger."

"If you join those three to ours, they'll get even stronger." Naruto said. "This goes both ways."

"But they would weaken the pack as well. What you give is taken away. If you joined me here, you won't lose much strength and you could have Sasuke." Hidan said, "You wouldn't have to worry of another killing him off because he's not strong enough. Here, submissive aren't killed on sight for being what they are."

Just that thought was almost tempting. Naruto's wolf was all for staying if it meant they could keep Sasuke. He had only met the little wolf that day and already his wolf was begging to claim him before another took him away. "That is why you brought Sasuke? To tempt me?"

Hidan said nothing to deny this. His face never changing his expression.

"Kakuzu is still a problem. What do you plan to do with him?" Naruto asked looking over his shoulder. "You need the other pack to help you fight him. Sora is not one that forgives easily. If he finds you left us for good, he'd declare you dead and I would get the same treatment if I joined you. With me in that pack leading it, we can fight him. You can keep this pack and I'll take the other."

"Is it too much to ask for my brother by my side?" Hidan asked softly.  
Instead of answering Naruto asked his own question, "What does this pack have to offer?"

"The Uchihas." Hidan said making Naruto's eyes widen. "Itachi is a Uchiha wolf as is Sasuke. Their uncles, aunts, grandparents and the whole Uchiha clan is here, separated into all of the generations here."

Naruto knew exactly what the Uchiha wolves were. They were one of the strongest packs alive. To even be attached to one was an honor. For the most part all Uchihas were dominants with a few submissive thrown in to add new dominant blood. Any young made by those dark wolves would always pass on their valuable DNA to the next generation. They were fast, much faster then any wolf was said to be, even the submissions were fast. They were said to be able to use mind tricks on their opponents. Or so the rumor went, if it was true or not, Naruto didn't know. He'd never met a wolf with their bloodline.

"Haku is of the Momochi line, his cousin led the pack before Kiba took over. Then when I came, I took over." Hidan said, "Deidara is the only one without a line."

Momochi's were a well known pack. They weren't as mysterious as the Uchihas but what they lacked in mystery they made up for in strength. They were said to rival mountains and Naruto could agree with that one. He had met a few of the Momochi line.

"Gaara is of the Sabaku line and Kiba is of the Inuzuka line." Hidan went on. "Gaara's mate is of the Hyuuga line and Kiba's mate is of the Nara."

All of the names listed were also well known names. Sabakus were ruthless in battle as were the Inuzuka's. To have them in your pack was always a good thing since they always bred dominants or had for more then five hundred years. If either line had ever bred anything else, Naruto didn't know. Those two families never had to question if their young would follow or lead. Hyuugas were graceful wolves. The way they fought was like a dance. Naruto had met one Hyuuga and had the honor of fighting with him. It was a battle that lasted days but in the end, Naruto had defeated the wolf and taken his life. The Naras were smart wolves that planned everything. Their mind taking in everything and passing out the information needed seconds later.

"Only the dominant Hyuugas and Naras are of use. The weak ones are simply wolves with added grace and brains but still weak in the end. No one of our pack would follow them." Naruto said turning to meet Hidan straight on. "Even if they create young with the other two, it is a very small chance that they'd pass on their genes to their young."

"But it is still a chance." Hidan said, "Naruto, in this town are wolves that we had only heard of and I have them within my pack. Think of this as your child. You will help create it into what it'll become."

"A pack isn't a child, it's a family and mine is with the others." Naruto said, "Hidan, I will protect your mates until their young come and then I am gone. I will tell the wolves of the new developments and will wait for Kakuzu to come to us. He wants me dead just as much as he wants you. You may be first in his sight but if he can not find you, he'll come for me. When I leave, I'll pull him to us so that you do not have to live in fear of your mates dying. For now I'll guard them because you are my brother."

"So we'll only be connected by an alliance?" Hidan sighed.

"No. Use us to keep others away if needed, we will protect you."

"It is my job to protect you." Hidan said as he moved to stand in front of Naruto. Reaching a hand up he gently brought the blonde down until their foreheads touch. "It is my duty."

"Now your duty lies with them. This is yours. We'll always be brothers." Naruto promised as his anger left him. He couldn't fault Hidan for something that many dominants craved. Hidan was just another wolf not a god. "When the time comes, I'll go and face Kakuzu. It is time we got our hands on him."

"Many will die."

"They will die happy. Our fangs and claws itch to get a hold of them." Naruto smirked as he looked into Hidan's eyes. "It'll be like a holiday for them."

"Idiot." Hidan said rolling his eyes and turning to move toward the cottage. "Naruto?"

"Yes?" Naruto said as he followed his ex alpha and now simply his brother.

"Do not lead Sasuke on. He wants you."

"I know." Naruto nodded and felt a pang in his heart as he mourned the loss of what couldn't be. "My wolf and I want him as well."

"What will you do?"

"Stay away. You return to your family, Hidan, and I'll begin patrolling your home." with that Naruto shifted and disappeared into the forest. His wolf wanted him to find Sasuke, but Naruto knew that couldn't come to pass. Like Hidan said, his pack would kill the raven and Naruto could do little about it. They may have been dominants but their pack was also of the same nature. They didn't follow the weak.


	2. Chapter 2

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Hidan walked back toward his cottage where his family was waiting for him. In his mind he was already thinking of ways to bring Naruto into this pack and the best way that he knew of was Sasuke.

He knew warning Naruto off of the wolf would make the blonde unsuspecting of what he planned to do. Naruto wanted the wolf and Hidan was going to make it impossible for Naruto to say no.

He knew Naruto's reasoning about the other pack but to Hidan they were just one. That's how he saw them. One portion of it was just out of his sight, but once Naruto would join him here the others would follow, even Sora.

Sure Sora may not have been Hidan's greatest fan but he was a loyal follower of Naruto. All of the wolves saw Naruto as Hidan's co-alpha. Some even saw him as the true alpha. The only reason Hidan ruled the pack was because he was slightly older then the blonde by a few months and Naruto saw Hidan as his older brother. Naruto was loyal without fault to Hidan but he was still a dominant. He wanted what was best and both of them were the reason that they were all so strong.

But now that Naruto saw Hidan choosing another pack, he felt the need to take over the other to keep them safe and watch over them.

Of course being on top for seven years and some months made it now impossible to give up his spot at the top. He wanted his pack as one and when Naruto would join, the others would quickly follow. At first it would be hard for the submissive but with Sasuke as Naruto's mate and Itachi, Haku, and Deidara as Hidan's, they would rethink their killing gene. Hidan and Naruto never lost. If both were to protect their mates with everything they had, killing wolves that didn't understand, then the others would understand. He also had Gaara and Kiba to make the threat sink in. Not to mention Omoi, Zabuza, though not really a member anymore since he had his own little pack with his family being the main wolves. There was also Shino, not to mention the older generation pack made up of the parents and relatives of the wolves from this town. Itachi's and Sasuke's own father, uncles, cousins, and so on, were all very powerful dominant wolves. That was the only time that the older generations got involved with the newer ones. Once his home pack truly became one with this new version, things would change quickly. Submissive wolves were protected here.

At first Hidan was surprised by how much the submissives were cherished. It threw him off by that giant difference between here and there. Everything was so different here.

Here wolves didn't have to suffer to survive. They didn't have to fight here to keep their territory, to keep anything. Things were calm here. Where war was a constant back home, here it was a rarity that quickly disappeared once the dominants got involved. Here submissive walked with dominants and mated with them as well. Sure the dominants tended to choose other dominant females first in other places, but there was a majority of the dominants choosing the weaker side here.

For the first time, Hidan didn't feel the need to kill the first submissive he had seen. If he was home, his wolf would have saved the submissive trouble in the future by killing him or her. Submissive didn't last long back home. Pups, if not protected, were killed on sight because they would only suffer. In a way, the pack was protecting them by killing them. Hidan had seen parents kill their young just to keep them from suffering. It was like another world there compared to here.

There it was death, here it was life.

It wasn't Hidan's or Naruto's rule, it was simply the rule of their region. If the wolves came here, they'd have another rule. They'd protect this part of the pack and never have to pretend to not mourn the loss of their child or loved one. Their life was harsh enough. Fight or die was their way of thinking. Hidan could not count on both hands how many times he had to fight a day just to keep the pack under control or an enemy pack from trying to take his territory.

When Hidan had arrived here, he met every strong wolf of this small town that was actually way bigger then he first thought. He met every Alpha from every generation and though his wolf was on the edge, he was never attacked for being a traveler. They knew nothing of Kakuzu, a wolf that raised Hidan and Naruto like younger brothers and now wished their blood. They knew nothing but what he let them know.

Even after he claimed submissive of all things, he was welcomed. He had no one trying to kill him for taking three of the most sought after submissive wolves. He had the annoyed dominants that wanted his mates, but nothing life threatening.

It still threw him off how that happened. He had never meant to claim anyone. If ever he had chosen anyone, he would have for sure thought he'd take a dominant female. One from his own pack when his wolf had found one worth having. Instead it had went against him and gave him three wolves that knew nothing of his past beyond being a traveler. He had gained new wolves, a new family, a new life. One that he wanted to share with the others.

When his cottage came into view he decided to put his plan into action.

"What are you three doing?" He asked watching his mates fret over Sasuke.

"We're making Sasuke presentable." Deidara said running the comb through Sasuke's hair. He had no idea what the other two were doing but apparently it was needed.

"Why?"

"For Naruto." Haku said simply.

"When is he going to come in?" Itachi asked with a rag in hand waiting just above the blushing face of his brother.

"He won't." Hidan stated watching all of them freeze in confusion. "Didn't you need to rest?"

"Why not? Doesn't he have to check everything over before he begins protecting us in a few weeks?" Itachi demanded, completely ignoring Hidan's question.

"Outside he does, in here he most likely already figured out every exit and will give me a list of things that he needs changed as he walks around out there." Hidan answered with amusement. "Besides he likes to start early to make sure nothing goes wrong. So I doubt you'll ever see him in here."

"What! But he has to come in!" Deidara pouted. "How will he fall for Sasuke-"  
"Deidara, calm yourself." Hidan ordered. "Sasuke, I'll take you home."

"Alright." Sasuke said showing clearly how disappointed and hurt he was. With a finale look to the other three, he ushered Sasuke out. He had no problem leaving his mates side. Naruto wouldn't let anything happen to them. "Will Naruto be going to our school?" the submissive asked hopefully once they were in the truck and on the move.

"No," Hidan answered as Sasuke once again deflated. "Sasuke?" he said a while later.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Of course."

"Naruto doesn't want a mate," at Sasuke's gasp Hidan went on before the raven could do anything. "But that's not going to stop you."

"I don't understand." Sasuke said, showing how confused he was.

"I want Naruto to join us here. Live with us here, but he won't because of the circumstances."

"What do you need me for?"

"I want you to tempt Naruto as all submissive do to outshine dominant females. I want Naruto eating out of your hands. I want his mark, his scent all over you to the point where your own fades away. I want you to carry every single pup he will have. Can you do that for me?"

"But you said-"

"I know what I said but it doesn't mean I care. I want Naruto here and you are the key. Can you make it happen?" Hidan asked again as he drove closer to Sasuke's home. "Can you make it beyond impossible for him to leave?"

"Yes," Sasuke nodded. "My family will get involved."

"Good," Hidan smirked, the Uchihas always got what they wanted. "And I, of course, will also lend a hand. Now listen to me, I'm going to tell you everything to get Naruto to want you." for the rest of the drive Hidan did just that.

"Thank you." Sasuke grinned when the truck parked. "I won't let you down."

"Of course you won't. Naruto is the prize we're looking to gain." Hidan said and nodded as Sasuke hopped out of the truck. With his smirk growing, he turned his truck around and said, "Naruto, you have no chance of leaving." and soon the others would be coming too.

For, here, they had a chance to face Kakuzu. That wolf had no chance here. Not with Hidan and soon to be Naruto fighting for something worth their own lives. Not with his other half of his pack joining this one. And not with the older generations butting in to keep their young safe. Only with everyone here could he face Kakuzu and come out with a promising victory.

**{:}**

Naruto frowned as he followed Hidan in his car to school. He had no idea why he was needed there when it was the home territory that was needed to be protected. Hidan had gave off some 'just in case' reason that made no sense. Sure his mates could be attacked there but that was an almost nonexistent chance. No wolf would be stupid enough to attack a dominant's mate especially with them so close and their followers right behind them. No one would attack submissive here because apparently they'd have generations of wolves plus Hidan's wolves ready to kill them.

With a roll of his eyes, he pulled his car to park beside the silver haired male and got out.

"You should sign up for school." Hidan said as he went to the other side to get his mates out. "It'll give you something to do during the day."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Naruto had never been to a school or been this close to one. There were none where he was from. His home wasn't one where people cared for such things. It didn't mean he was stupid, it just meant he relied more on what he learned through life then what was taught through another's lips. All wolves lived like that there. "I could protect your home during the day and make sure I find every-"

"You need to protect the cottage when the pups are coming and my mates are locked away, not now. Right now you just need to keep them safe."

"What kind of dominant are you?" Naruto questioned as he bowed his head to the mates in question and watched them walk to their own school. Turning to Hidan, he watched his friend's gaze never waver from them until they went inside. "No male wants another near his prize if they aren't needed. In fact, many males would never let their mates leave their side."

"But you won't be near them, you'll be watching them." Hidan said trying and failing to hide his jealousy at that. "I only let them come because, I come. I have never been to a school as you know. This, what they take for granted..." Hidan shook his head as he came up for a loss of words. "I just need you to watch them when I can't."

"Right... What's the real reason?" Naruto asked, taking in the uniform that looked so out of place on Hidan. Never in his life would he had assumed that Hidan of all wolves would wear something like this, or even listening to another tell him what to do.

"I can't always be with them and I won't take the chance that Kakuzu comes around when I'm not there. You can watch them when I'm not there." Hidan said letting his emotions swim within his eyes before fading back. "I never wanted mates of the weaker nature but my wolf never found a dominant that it could stand. Instead my wolf chose them for whatever reason and I'll do everything in my power to keep them safe."

"Very well." Naruto sighed. "Better get to class before they all see their Alpha get detention."

"As if they would." Hidan smirked as he walked toward his own school.

Naruto waited until everyone was out of sight before he began walking toward the submissive side. He made sure to keep twenty feet between him and the building because he new he was being watched. Dominants didn't want another with their mates and submissive got easily distracted with one of his kind near he noticed. Of course he was distracting all of them. He was new and powerful. The other stronger wolves accepted him because of the show he had given them but they didn't trust him yet. The submissives were all over the windows when he walked by because they wanted him. He smelt the unmated wolves sending their sent out unknowingly, or did they know what they were doing? Naruto didn't spend much time with submissive. He could count on one hand how many he had met. Four, and those four were right here.

Could he accept this place? His wolf wanted to keep it but Naruto felt duty bound to return home and keep his pack safe... His. Never would he have thought to actually call it his and mean it. It was always Hidan's, he was just keeping it safe until the silver haired male returned. Now Hidan would never go back.

Naruto knew he had to tell the pack this, but he would wait until he got back to say a word.

With another circle around the school, scanning the area as he went, Naruto tensed when an unknown scent hit his nose. Turning his face to the air, he inhaled deeply. This didn't smell like Hidan's new pack, but it smelt familiar. Hidan had said that here the wolf packs lived in generations and that he only had the newest one. The next generation alpha would take over when the end of this year came. After that, Hidan would then become part of the older generation and the newest alpha to come would take over the newest pack. From what Naruto understood, every generation was made up of fifteen years in between the youngest to the oldest. So Hidan apparently had wolves as old as twenty five in his pack to the soon to be ten year olds.

Naruto wondered what happened to the wolves born after this year would do or what the wolves that didn't make the deadline would do. Would they be part of no pack? Or would they follow their parents rule until they were old enough to take over their own?

Back home the strongest wolf ruled. It didn't matter if you were old or young, you belong to one of the four packs ruling their region.

Ignoring his thoughts, he followed his nose right back to the lot separating both schools. Standing in front of him were three males and one female. All of them looking suspiciously like Sasuke and Itachi.

Hidan, he thought with annoyance, it had to be Hidan. The wolf caved in too easily the last time they talked and today he was acting like nothing happened. Naruto knew Hidan enough to know he was planning something.

Ignoring the looks of everyone from the windows, Naruto moved closer to the four waiting.

"My, you are a strong one, aren't you?" One of the older males nodded pleased as they looked him up and down. "He'll do for your son, Fugaku."  
"Just what I was thinking, Izuna." another wolf answered.  
"Am I to assume that you are all related to Sasuke?" Naruto asked lifting a brow.

"Why yes," The woman nodded. "I am his mother, Mikoto. This is my husband, Fugaku, and our uncles, Madara and Izuna. Madara runs the second oldest generation and my husband runs the third." which would put Hidan running the fourth or was it the fifth? This would get confusing, Naruto thought. "I am so glad you met Sasuke, he will be good for you. He already knows how to cook and take care of the home. He isn't afraid of work and Uchihas carry pups easily so his pregnancy will go by without a hitch." the woman smiled. "He's a very smart wolf for one his age."

What the... What was she going on about? "Okay." Naruto nodded as he watched them warily.

"So when shall we make the ceremony of your binding? After the pups come, of course?" Madara questioned. "A week? Or two weeks?"  
"The what?" Naruto blinked trying to process what they were doing or even saying.

"It's the ceremony our town usually throws after a couple has been created. The best day will be on a Saturday, mind you Sasuke still has school." Izuna smirked. "So you can have all the fun on that day and let him rest up on Sunday. That is if you are inclined to let him return to school. Most wolves here do but not all of them."

"You'll make a fine impact on the Uchiha genes." Fugaku stated. "I can barely feel your power, even though I stand so close to you, but I know you have it. You hide it well."

"I think you four are confused." Naruto said as it finally dawned on him. They thought he was going to mate Sasuke? This was definitely not Hidan's work. Hidan would more then likely have done all the dirty work himself and not send in Sasuke's parents and uncles. Unless he was trying to throw him off... Damn it Hidan, he thought. "I don't plan to mate Sasuke."

"Why ever not!" Mikoto demanded as she stomped her foot. This was a first, Naruto had to do all he could to not grin at the dominant woman's childish acts.

"Because I am here to guard Hidan's three mates and then I must return home-"

"Then you can take Sasuke," Madara cut in. "or you can stay here. We prefer the latter, so keep that in mind."

"I can't-"

"Do you find my son repulsive?" Fugaku demanded with narrowed eyes. "Not fitting in your eyes? Tell me, who would be better then a Uchiha to mate with?"

"Look Sasuke is a beautiful wolf, he's perfect but-"

"Is it because he's not a dominant? I know people from out of town choose them more often then we do here, but submissives are easier to protect." Mikoto went on. "Sasuke won't cause you any trouble."

"Do you have a mate waiting then? No, because you don't have another's scent on you." Izuna growled. "So unless you have someone waiting, which we know you don't because we questioned Hidan last night over the phone and he said no, then what is your reasoning?"

Damn it! He was going to murder Hidan. He knew that wolf was up to something. "I have no one waiting but you see I... am not good enough for Sasuke." Naruto said.

"Nonsense," Madara said waving that thought off, "You are one of the most powerful wolves here. I know if you and I were to fight you'd give me a challenge, our battle would be long but I don't have a clue who would come out victorious. The same is said for Hidan. That battle could go either way."

"Here we try to gain our young the best mate possible, helping them when needed. You are the perfect mate for our son." Mikoto smiled as she moved closer and patted his arm. Naruto knew that Fugaku let her because she was a dominant. When dominants interacted with others, even mated ones, it didn't matter. It was only the submissives that called out their protective genes.

"I am honored that you think that, but I still must decline. My home is not safe for Sasuke." Naruto said honestly. When something moved at one of the dominant windows, Naruto glanced up and spotted Hidan smirking as he watched them with other wolves behind him. Turning his head he looked toward the submissive school and found them watching as well. It didn't take long to find Sasuke at one of the windows.

"Why not?" Mikoto narrowed her eyes, not looking away from him.

"It is not meant for submissives. Only the strong survive." Naruto answered. "My home is a harsh place-"

"Then you will stay here. It is decided." Madara nodded. "We'll make a ceremony after Itachi and the other two have their pups. We can't have you being distracted as they go into labor."

"I don't think you are listening to me." Naruto tried as they began to move on.

"No boy, you aren't listening to us." Izuna smirked. "Welcome to the family."

"You have got to be kidding me," Naruto muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. Were all wolves here this annoying? "Look, when I return home in a months time, I will be going alone without a mate."

"We'll see if you leave at all." Madara answered or more like growled. "We have family dinners every few nights. Tonight is another one. You will be there with Sasuke just as Hidan will be there with his mates."

"Wolf you overstep yourself." Naruto growled in warning. It didn't matter how they ran things here, he was still a dominant and like any dominant of his region he did not take well to being ordered unless they could prove they were stronger. The only one he willingly followed was Hidan. "Though you have my respect for gaining Hidan's, it does not mean you are my Alpha. Generations or not, no one is my master."

"We do not wish to rule you." Mikoto said quietly as the others tensed. "We wish a binding between you and our son."

"Find another for Sasuke, I will not have him. To keep him means he will die. It is best that another takes him and showers him with what I can not."

"Why won't you even consider him?" Fugaku asked.

"My home is full of dominants. To bring a submissive to rule beside me will equal his death. They would kill him before I can say he is mine." Naruto said making all of their eyes widen in shock. "It does not matter if I am the Alpha of my pack, or that Hidan is my friend. It doesn't matter if I am strong, to them, Sasuke will be seen as a weakness that will equal their death. They will not accept him. If he can not fight to live, then he will not last a second."

"This pack you speak of, is it where Hidan is from?" Mikoto asked with a hand at her throat. "Is it why he's made no move to go back?"

"Yes. If he goes back he'd lose all that he has gained here." Naruto nodded. "He gave up his pack to keep your son and the other two. I will not make that even a choice. I will not leave my pack."

"Will you not even think upon this request? Out of all the wolves here that are unattached, Sasuke will be the best pick." Fugaku stated.

"If I were inclined to stay then it would be Sasuke that I claimed as mine. I would take no other, but I am needed back at home. If you four will excuse me," Naruto bowed his toward them before turning and walking off. For unknown reasons, he found his eyes straying toward the submissive side and to Sasuke's watchful form. "If I could take you I would." Naruto muttered under his breath before forcing his gaze from Sasuke's.

**{:}**

Sasuke watched the blonde wolf walk around the corner of the building and disappear. He knew the others on that side of the building were watching him now and that thought brought jealousy front and center.

"Seems like Sasuke won." a random student smirked. "So much for you unmated wolves and getting that wolf. Even if your parents talk to him, the Uchihas already beat them."

"This isn't fair!" another one growled as she glared at Sasuke. "The Uchihas get everything!"

And on and on it went. Sasuke pushed their voices away as he turned to meet Hidan's eyes across the lot. When his alpha tilted his head to the right and pretended to scratch an itch on his ear, Sasuke knew Hidan was pleased. Itachi was the reason behind his parents being here but it was Hidan that spoke to them that brought his uncles. Hidan had told them a few things about Naruto, bringing them here to corner the blonde.

With his parents and his uncles doing half the work of creating a bonding, Sasuke had to do his part. Hidan had said it wouldn't be easy but it would be worth it. Sasuke had to agree. Naruto was a prize worth getting and he hoped that Naruto felt the same for him too.

"Okay class, turn back to me and lets get back on track," their teacher said as he tried to gain their attention. "That includes you Sasuke,"

"Yes sir." Sasuke nodded as he took his seat.

**{:}**

"Is there a reason you are standing by my car when you should be eating lunch?"

Just that voice alone sent shivers down Sasuke's spine as he turned to face the male that had spoken. This was their second official meeting but their first conversation with no one threatening to take him or the blonde away. "I thought you might be hungry," Sasuke said as he met the most amazing blue eyes he had ever seen head on. Like the first and second time their eyes had connected, Sasuke felt lost. He felt the world fade away leaving only the two of them. He was tempted to rub his body against Naruto, claiming the others scent as his own. He wanted so badly to feel the wolf's strong body rubbing against his own, taking him like no other would ever gain the chance to do.

"Hungry?" Naruto raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Little wolf, if I were hungry, I would go hunting."

"Why?" Sasuke asked feeling confused.

"Call me old fashion but I prefer my prey to run, knowing they'll eventually be caught." Naruto smirked as he moved closer until he could whisper in his ear, "I very much enjoy the chase."

"Would you chase me?" Sasuke asked breathlessly. "If I ran, would you come for me?"

With a deep chuckle, Naruto tilted his head until he was breathing down Sasuke's neck, "Would you be worth it, little wolf?"  
Gasping, Sasuke closed his eyes. In his mind, he could imagine almost anything that could and would happen between them. He knew Naruto would be his but it would be a challenge to make that possible. Tilting his head back and toward the right, Sasuke held his breath to see what the blonde would do next.

"You give off an intoxicating aroma," Naruto said inhaling deeply, "I could take you right here, in front of everyone. Would you stop me? Would you push me away? If I mounted you, showed everyone that you belonged to me, what would you do?"

"Na-" Sasuke gasped as Naruto's words drizzled down his spine. Every inch of him was on fire. The breeze, gently blowing over his body, was another turn on. His skin was so sensitive that everything was on the verge of pain and pleasure. If Naruto took him, he wouldn't stop him. He wouldn't care. Their joining would be one all saw so they knew both were taken and no longer available. He would do almost anything Naruto asked of him.

**{:}**

Naruto fought to gain control of his wolf. Being this close to Sasuke was playing havoc on his senses. He wanted to mark the Uchiha in front of him. He wanted this wolf so badly, he could almost taste him. He wanted to give into his wolf's desire and take the raven. He wanted his young to come from this wolf. He wanted...

With more strength then was needed, Naruto pulled away from the wolf and took a few steps back. Even if he tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from touching every square inch of the raven's body. The need on Sasuke's face was almost his undoing. Why did Sasuke, of all wolves, have to be the one that he wanted the most? "What," Naruto tried to say only to trip on his words, "What did you bring?"

"Huh?" Sasuke blinked as he seemed to try and process what was going on. "Bring?"

"Yes, you said you brought me something. What is it?" Naruto asked taking another step back. He could still feel Sasuke against him. With a mental shake of his head, he forcefully pushed his wolf back and focused on the ruined bow in Sasuke's hand. He should never have come. Sasuke was going to be his undoing and Hidan knew it.

"I brought you food," Sasuke answered, his cheeks going redder with embarrassment. "Um, it's..." the raven said looking down at his hands covered in a brown liquid sauce. "It was a beef stew..."

"I see," Naruto answered as he sniffed the air, taking in the mouth watering scent of the food mixing with Sasuke's scent. He could almost feel his wolf coming back to the surface. The hunger for Sasuke and the meal making it easier for his wolf.

"I..." Sasuke blushed and looked down at his hands. "I guess I did bring you lunch but-"  
"Hello," Someone called walking up to them. Turning slightly, Naruto saw another wolf make her way toward them with a plate covered with foil in hand.

**{:}**

At the sound of Ino's voice, Sasuke almost snarled as he glared at the other blonde joining them.

"Hi," Ino went on, uncaring of Sasuke standing right beside them. "I'm Ino Yamanaka."

Naruto raised a brow but said nothing to acknowledge the girl. Just that was enough to make Sasuke smirk in pleasure.

Not that Naruto's uncaring attitude went noticed by Ino. "I thought I should come and introduce myself." she went on showing off her body to her advantage. Sasuke noticed that her shirt was only being held up by three buttons, less then what was required by the school. Was she planning to seduce his male? "I also thought you might be hungry after walking around our school all day." she giggled and held out the plate.

"It's steak and biscuits," Ino went on holding out the plate. "I added my special sauce."

"I brought him lunch," Sasuke hissed in anger. If that blonde she-wolf moved any closer to his male, he wouldn't be responsible for any damage done to her.

"Really?" Ino questioned with a lift of her brow, "It seems the floor got to it first."

Sasuke flushed as he realized that he had dropped what was left of his stew. What was left in his hands was the cracked foam bowl caught in his lengthening nails.

"Here you are Naruto," Ino practically purred as she licked her lips and lowered her eyelids, "I hope it fills you up and if it doesn't, I'm sure I can figure something that will." Ino whispered as she moved closer and placed a hand on Naruto's chest.

Her hand on his male was the last straw. Sasuke found his fangs growing and his body changing as he charged at the female. Catching her around the shoulders, Sasuke followed her down to the ground as his jaw grew and snapped at her, trying to gain any skin he could. Beneath him, he felt Ino's body changing as her own claws dug into his body. With rage leading him on, Sasuke planned to show Ino why Naruto would be his.

**{:}**

Naruto watched in stunned silence as the two submissive wolves quickly shifted and went at each other as if they were dominants fighting for territory. The female was a pale gold and slightly smaller then Sasuke's raven form. When the scent of blood hit his nose, his own wolf came to the surface. Without having to see for himself, he knew his eyes were a darker, deeper blue.

Without care for his own skin, he reached in and grasped both wolves, forcefully pulling them apart and putting his body in between them. Turning so that he faced the female wolf, he growled low and crouched his body, readying himself to attack. With Sasuke behind him, he stalked closer to the cowering female. His form completely changed, fur standing on end, as his teeth flashed, promising the other her death.

"Enough!" Hidan ordered as moved to protect Ino. "Naruto, enough."

Glaring at the silver wolf, he tried to stalk around him and hurt the female that hurt his wolf. He wanted to damage the female that dared touch what was his.

"I said enough!" Hidan growled when Naruto showed no signs of understanding. The way Naruto was acting was the way any dominant would when protecting his mate. "I do not wish to fight you but I will not let you hurt one of my own. Naruto, calm yourself. Do you realize what you are doing? Don't lose the control you work so hard to keep."

Another growl was his only answer as Naruto lowered his head more and prepared his body for his attack.

Lowering his voice so that Naruto was the only one to hear, Hidan said, "For a wolf that states no claim, you act as if he is yours." at that the blonde wolf calmed some, "He is yours whether you claim him or not."

Turning his gaze toward the raven panting beside Naruto's car, Hidan frowned as he sniffed the air. "He's bleeding," at that, Naruto turned completely to walk back toward the pained raven. In silence, Hidan watched as Naruto licked at the wound on Sasuke's face and around his eye. He knew once the raven shifted back, the wounds would look as if they were a few weeks old and in a few more days or another shift between his forms, it would disappear completely.

"Alpha?" Omoi called from behind him.

"Take Ino to my table, I'll deal with her there." Hidan said as he forced his gaze from the raven and the blonde. Naruto couldn't leave. No matter what he said, Naruto was already forming the bond of a lifetime. All that was needed was the marking and he knew the blonde would be very stubborn on that. If he knew his brother, Naruto would distance himself once he gained his senses again and forced his wolf back.

**{:}**

"Alpha, we have him," Zetsu White whispered into the darkness of the room. With his twin beside him, he slowly made his way in, both of them turning their gazes back and forth as they searched for the male hidden within.

"Where?" their alpha demanded softly, his voice echoing in the room.

Both twins shivered at the calm uncaring tone of their Alpha. Only Kakuzu could make any word sound as if it would be the last one you would hear before you faded from the world.

"Konoha," both answered and bowed their bodies when the darkness began to shift, revealing a shadow. When their alpha began to chuckle, both held their breaths, each trying to fade away. "Naruto is said to be with him."

"Wonderful." Kakuzu smirked. "I have been wishing to see both my baby brothers. I've missed them oh so much."

"S-shall we h-he-head out?" Zetsu Black asked shakily.

"In a few weeks time. I have to prepare for our first meeting."

When he was gone, both twins gulped and looked at one another. Though they were strong like every one else in Kakuzu's pack, neither was stupid enough to defy their powerful demented Alpha.

**{:}**

"Itachi, why does he fight me so much?" Sasuke asked his brother as they prepared to head to dinner. Earlier that day, Naruto had played the protective mate, facing off against Ino and then Hidan to keep him safe. He had cleaned his wounds, staying with him as others watched them. Their eyes seeing in awe at the perfection that was Naruto. He was truly beautiful, his fur a gold unlike any other. Even his golden mane, in human form, couldn't compare to it. His eyes were dark, begging for one to get lost in them for eternity.

Then out of no where, Naruto had taken a step back, his eyes looking into his own in shock. Without another glance, he was gone. Running with a speed that Sasuke could barely see.

It was Shikamaru that went with him to the locker room to wait for him as he shifted and pulled on his gym clothes. Moments later he went home with Itachi and the others and now here they were.

"I thought that maybe we finally connected. That he accepted me." Sasuke went on quietly as he gazed at the fading scars in the mirror. In a few more days or another shift, they'd be gone. "Am I that repulsive?"

"No Sasuke," Itachi said, turning his face so that they could see eye to eye, "it's not that."

"Then what is it? I thought that he would mark me... but he ran. I was forgotten by him in front of everyone. He rejected me-"

"He can't." Itachi cut him off. "Naruto can't reject you."

"Tell that to everyone watching!" Sasuke snarled as he moved away from his brother. "Am I not good enough? Did he want that stupid she-bitch instead!"

"I highly doubt that. Everyone watching knew he was going to kill Ino if not for Hidan." Itachi said watching him pace. Down stairs they could hear Deidara laughing with their Mother and Haku speaking to their Uncle Izuna about preparing for birth. He was sure Hidan, his Uncle Madara, and his Father were listening to them right now too. Sasuke sometimes wished their hearing wasn't so great. Somethings he could go on living without. Who wanted to hear their parents going at it through their whole childhood? Sure he was used to it, but it just felt like he was a peeping tom when they decided to... get intimate.

"His wolf claimed you." Itachi pointed out. "I smell his wolf on you. It's already mixing with your own and over powering it."

"Then why did he run?" Sasuke demanded angrily. Who wouldn't feel pained or rejected when the one they wanted ran?

"I don't know Sasuke." Itachi growled. "I have no answer for that. I just know that I smell his wolf on you and that all you need to become a mated couple is his mark on you."

The mark, Sasuke thought, a mark that only ones mate could see. To outsiders it was as if the submissive or the females scent receded greatly and their mate's expanded, engulfing them to the point of wiping out the weaker mate or the females scent in most cases. Few very powerful wolves tended to wipe out their mate's scent, showing others that they were willing to fight and kill for what was theirs. To show others that their mate was truly claimed. Hidan wanted Sasuke to be claimed in such a way by the blonde. To a mated couple, it was a tattoo of sorts that appeared on both of them in a random place. "Why would his wolf claim me and not him?"

"Because he's fighting it to keep you safe." Hidan said appearing at the doorway. "I felt your wolf calling to me." he said to Itachi when both ravens jumped and turned his way. "I find that I do not like any of my mates emotional in their last terms of pregnancy."

"I'm sorry, Alpha," Sasuke said quickly. "It was my fault. I'm trying to figure things out and Itachi is trying to help me. I'm taking my frustration out on him."

"Don't." Hidan stated as he pulled Itachi into his arms, nuzzling his nose against his neck and inhaling deeply. "Though I would hate to hurt you Sasuke, I would."

"Hidan-"

"Itachi," Hidan said in the same calm manner. "Go downstairs, I wish to talk to Sasuke."

"I...of course." Itachi nodded, turning, he met Sasuke's scared eyes and left.

"Calm yourself Sasuke," Hidan sighed as he moved to sit on Sasuke's bed. "I'd hate to fight with Naruto now. Even if he's not here, I feel him out there watching. Even if he denies it, he can't let you go. So be calm because I'm in no mood to not hurt him. With the way things are going..."  
With a sigh, he ran a tired hand down his face. Lifting his eyes, he said, "Relax, I'm not going to beat you."

"I'm sorry..." Sasuke bit his lip and crossed his arms. "Why would he fight it? Does he not want me-"

"Trust me, he wants you. He craves you. You're his addiction and no matter what he does, he can't get over you." Hidan smirked, but even that held no heat. It was like his face was portraying emotions that he wasn't even feeling. "Do you know where I come from?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head, "It's not my place to pry."

Nodding, Hidan accepted the answer, "Naruto and I are from a place not like this. Where I used to live and where Naruto keeps holding on to, is a dead place. Food is scarce. Water is almost nonexistent. Territory is small but protected none-the-less. Everything you own is not really yours."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that... think of it like a pyramid. You have the Alpha at the top and then the second and third and so on and so on. The Alpha gets first dibs on everything. Everything is theirs. They choose to pass what they want on for others to use but not to keep." Hidan frowned, looking as if he couldn't find the words to describe his home. "My pack for instance-"

"But we are your pack." Sasuke said feeling confused. "Aren't we?"

"You are but this pack is only a portion of what I claim as mine." Hidan corrected. "The other half is living in a desert, under another wolf, waiting for me to return to claim it. But that half of the pack is filled with dominants. There are no submissive wolves there. Submissive would never make it in a place like that. It's hell there but they stay because they don't know what else is out there. They think the rest of the world is like their home. Where children are hidden until they become dominant. If they are found before they hit ten, they're killed. Sometimes their parents protect them and sometimes they die along with them. If, at ten, they are submissives, their parents kill them because to leave them alive would be torture for them. They'd die a more painful death."

"Wh-what?" Sasuke gasped taking a step back.

"In that place, wolves are more like savages. My pack is constantly fighting them off to stay alive and keep our belongings ours. Everyday, I was fighting for my place at the top and Naruto was fighting with me. When we became dominants, we decided we were going to change our home. Naruto was made an orphan and... it doesn't matter. When we both became dominants, we made it our mission to fix things. We were going to make that place safe for every wolf. We saw friends die in front of us. We didn't realize at the time that nothing would ever change. That place was always going to be die or fight. It took us a few years to see that. In that time, we both changed. We grew up and instead of fighting nature, we began to build off of it. We made the pack. I became the Alpha because I was older and because I saved Naruto from dying when he was still on the verge of being ten. I protected him and he declared undying loyalty to me just as I did for him. He became my brother that day and still is. We were always side by side. Us against them. Within our own pack, we were fighting as the weak were dying."

"Are you saying if Naruto claimed me, they'd kill me?" Sasuke whispered in shock. "You claimed Itachi and the other two. I don't understand."

"I'm not going back." Hidan said. "I plan to bring the pack here."

"But they're killers!"

"No," Hidan growled. "They're survivors. If they came to a place where they didn't have to fight for a rotten piece of meat, they'd change. They wouldn't feel the need to protect the weak by killing them."

"Then why is Naruto fighting this?" Sasuke asked angrily. "If the pack is coming here-"

"He doesn't know what I'm doing." Hidan cut him off again. "He thinks I gave up on them and claimed a new pack to keep your brother, Haku, and Deidara. I haven't seen my pack for years, Sasuke, but I never gave them up. They are under Naruto's rule right now, but soon they'll be mine again. The wolves won't leave their territory because no dominant wolf wishes to give up what's theirs. They fought so hard to keep it and to give it up, goes against nature. It went against mine, but I'm gave that territory up for this one. I need Naruto to do the same. I know some of the wolves will follow me and some will follow Naruto. If we were both here, they'd all come to us. They couldn't resist the call of their Alphas and the promise of something beautiful."

"So you're using Naruto." Sasuke felt shocked, then hurt, and finally rage. "You're using me to gain what you want!"

"Yes, but in the process I'm giving you and Naruto what both of you need." Hidan nodded. "As Alpha it is my right to-"

"It doesn't matter! You're using me and him. You're trying to bring a pack here with Naruto's unwilling help. He never wanted to come here but you brought him. Then when you saw our reaction, you decided to use it against us! Naruto doesn't want me. He only wants to go home!" Sasuke shouted. "I thought you were the strongest wolf here, but apparently you are nothing if you need another, a submissive at that, to gain what you want!"

"Don't you dare!" Hidan snarled. His eyes beginning to glow. "I am the Alpha! You do not question me!"

"If you were a true Alpha you wouldn-" with a grunt, Sasuke found himself pressed against the wall, inches off the floor.

"I am Alpha!" Hidan shouted.

"So am I!" came another voice as the window exploded. With fear in his eyes, Sasuke watched Naruto latch on to Hidan, breaking his hold. Falling to a heap on the floor, he stilled as Hidan turned on Naruto.

"Sasuke!" his mother called moving into the room and pulling him into her arms. "Are you alright?"

"What happened?" His uncle Madara demanded.

Sasuke ignored them as Naruto and Hidan fell out the window, their bodies still changing as they punched and dragged the other down.

"Naruto!" he shouted pushing his mother off of him and running to the broken glass. In the dim light, he made out two wolves circling each other. Their teeth shining like blades as their hackles rose. "Naruto!" he shouted again when Hidan jumped at the blonde. If not for his father's hold on him, he would have jumped. "Naruto!"

"Enough!" Izuna said moving around them as he sprang, shifting in mid-air.

"Dinner is ruined." Madara growled and followed his brother out.

"You will hurt yourself if you jump." His father said when Sasuke tried to follow.

Pushing his father off, Sasuke ran to his door and then down the stairs. Ignoring the three at the bottom, unaware of what was happening, he ran toward the front of the house and slammed the door open.

"Sasuke what's going on?" Deidara yelled from behind him.

"I-"

"Hidan!" Haku shouted when the other three moved to the door and saw their mate fighting Naruto. "No! Hidan!" Grunting, Sasuke fell to the floor as Haku ran passed him, trying to save his mate from the attacking wolf.

"Haku stay back!" he heard his mother yell as she jumped from the broken window and ran after Haku.

"Let go!" Haku shouted trying to break free. "Let go!"

"Damn it Itachi!" Turning, Sasuke found his Father and his cousin Shisui restraining Deidara and Itachi. "Itachi if you don't knock your shit off, I'm going to lock you in the damn closet!" Shisui growled. "Damn submissive thinking they could take on a dominant!"

All around someone was fighting and in it all, Sasuke could only lay there, unable to move. His wolf begging to help his mate, but his human side stunned beyond belief at the chaos of something that he started. This was all his fault. Naruto and Hidan were fighting like enemies. His uncles were bleeding from wounds as they tried to stop the two. His mother was fighting Haku, who struggled harder. Itachi and Deidara were fighting to be set free as his father and Shisui were struggling to hold them without hurting them.

"Haku!" at his mother's desperate yell, Sasuke turned back to find the raven wolf bent over, his arms holding his belly as he fell to his knees. In a flash, Hidan was with them, the others watching in stunned silence. "The baby's coming!" his mother shouted as Hidan shifted back and picked Haku up bride style. "Get him inside!"

In shock, Sasuke watched Haku crying and screaming as the baby tried to fight it's way out. He watched as Hidan carried him inside, ignoring his other mates and everyone else. He watched his cousin pull out a phone and Itachi and Deidara running after their lover and friend. He watched his mother and father rush inside with his uncles. He watched but was unable to move.

When arms pulled him into a strong hold, he cried. "It's too soon." he whispered. "The baby's coming too soon."

**{:}**

Sasuke sat on Naruto's lap as they waited for news of Haku and the baby. He couldn't believe the baby was coming. It was too early. Haku's body wasn't ready to give birth. It had yet to finish the alterations it needed to birth the pup. Haku was close to the last stage of the change, but he wasn't ready yet. The baby, Haku, or both could die.

Fighting back his tears, Sasuke buried his face in Naruto's chest, his arms tightening around the other's neck. In turn, Naruto ran one hand up and down his back and used the other to pull him closer.

He knew Itachi and Deidara were on the love seat, both of them sobbing silently as his Mother and Father tried to comfort them. In the corner of the room, Zabuza stood stiffly, having arrived when Shisui called him, his arms crossed and his eyes watching the ceiling as if he could see his brother, Hidan, and Tsunade, the only one Hidan would permit near Haku. Naruto had tried to guard the door, but Hidan had snarled and had thrown him down the stairs, Naruto doing nothing but watching from the first floor. With one last angry look, Hidan had turned back toward the room Haku was in and slammed the door. Shisui and his uncles were guarding the grounds outside with a few other Uchihas' and other members of Hidan's pack.

Trying to block out Haku's screaming, that had been going on all night and part of the morning, Sasuke tilted his head so that one ear was against Naruto's shoulder as one of his own hands covered his other ear. It muffled the sound but not by much.

This was his fault. He was the one that started the fight between Naruto and Hidan. He let his anger get ahead of him and spoke out of turn to his alpha. He made Naruto attack Hidan and now Haku could die because of this.

At the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, Deidara and Itachi jumped up as quickly as they could. The others, including Sasuke, turned their eyes to see Tsunade appearing with a bag and smelling of blood. To Sasuke it looked like the female had aged a hundred years. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face pale and haggard.

"Tsunade?" Deidara whispered, moving quickly to the woman's side. "What about Haku? Why is it silent? What happened? Please..."

Silent? Sasuke frowned and realized Deidara was right. How had he failed to notice the silence? Oh gods, did Haku... Was he... Please god no! He screamed into his head.

"I gave Hidan a choice," she said softly.

"What choice?" Itachi asked tearfully, his head shaking back and forth at what Hidan had been asked to do. "Is Haku alright? It's too quiet. I don't hear anything! Please tell me Haku's alright!"

"Haku is..." Tsunade took a breath, "He's alive. He's sedated but alive."

"And the baby?" Deidara asked fearfully. "Is the baby okay?"

Turning her gaze to look at everyone, Tsunade gave them a forced smile, "The baby is alive-" at that everyone but Naruto seemed to cheer or breathe a sign of relief. Their bodies relaxing at the good news. Sasuke had never felt such an emotion at anything before. The fear faded and drained away like water as he went limp in Naruto's arms.

"What else?" Naruto asked, his voice cutting through their celebration like a knife.  
Tsunade met his gaze but quickly looked away. She may not have been one of his wolves, but even she wasn't chancing a fight for treating him like a wolf of their town, one who wouldn't attack her if she kept eye contact. She, herself, was part of no pack, a wolf that was a doctor to all of them, Naruto was not. He was a new wolf that didn't smell of them. He smelt wild and dangerous. And the way he was slowly claiming Sasuke, made him even more dangerous. He was already losing control of his wolf as it was.  
"Answer me female." Naruto ordered, his voice freezing her in place.

"There was only one way for the pup to be born and Haku to stay alive. It was too late to stop the pup from coming without killing him or Haku. If the pup came naturally, he would have killed both of them." Tsunade answered. "In order to make sure they came out alive, I had to do an emergency C-section."

"Wh-what?" Mikoto gasped in shock, her hands covering her mouth.

Even Sasuke new what that meant. In order to cut Haku open to get the pup out, Tsuande had to have used silver tools. That's why Haku was screaming bloody murder. That's why he sounded like he was dying. The silver was eating at him from the inside out.

Their bodies weren't immune to silver. Silver was the only natural resource out there that would cut through their skin and leave an open wound. Any wound made by any other metal or blade would heal soon afterwards, and if not pulled out in time, around it. In order for Tsunade to have done a C-section, she would have had to have kept the silver tools in Haku's body as she took the baby out. The silver would have then burned Haku, killing off any chance for him to carry another young. And because the baby was exposed to the silver, there would be a chance he wouldn't make it either.

This would be the only baby Haku had in his life and if something happened to him... Sasuke didn't know what Haku would do.

"The pup?" Naruto asked, his body stiff beneath Sasuke.

"He's small and having troubles. I'm not sure if he'll last." Tsunade answered honestly as tears built. "I don't-"

"He will survive." Naruto cut her off, removing Sasuke from his lap and standing up. "He is born of Hidan's pack." with that, the blonde turned away from them as he moved toward the stairs.

"How long?" Mikoto asked quietly, wrapping her arms around Itachi and Deidara, both of them too shocked to move toward Haku and Hidan. "How long before..."

"I'm not sure if he'll last until tomorrow. The pup has been exposed. I gave Hidan the choice, to end his life before he took his first breath or let him come. I knew he'd suffer and I told Hidan this, but... He wanted the child born. He wanted to see his pup. I'm sorry, I need to go." with those words, Tsunade turned away quickly and almost ran out of their home.

In silence, Zabuza left moments after her, his face set in stone as tears fell from his eyes. Pulling his knees to his chest, Sasuke wrapped his arms around them and cried.

**{:}**

"Hidan," Naruto said softly into the darken room. The only light fading away with the clouds and coming storm. Did the earth mourn with them too? Did it sense another creature fading? Unable to cry, as the others did freely, Naruto walked to the only chair in the room where Hidan sat carrying a small bundle. On the bed, resting unaware of what was going on, was Haku. His face pale and strained even in his forced sleep. Naruto smelt the blood, Haku's blood, as it tainted the air around them. He smelt the burnt flesh of one exposed to silver for so long. The walls had claw marks digging into them. As if Hidan was fighting himself not to attack Tsunade as she cut Haku open.

"He's beautiful," Hidan stated, gazing down at the whimpering child in his arms. "He has Haku's dark hair and fair skin. He's tiny. I feel like I'll crush him with one finger." pulling the thin blanket tighter around the small pup, he whispered comforting words to calm his young.

Not saying anything, Naruto stood in front of his brother as Hidan continued to gaze at his baby, his agony clearly written on his face. Naruto knew he wouldn't cry, but he was close. Hidan's eyes were red and filled with unshed tears, but Naruto knew they wouldn't fall. He had never seen Hidan in tears, Naruto, himself, had never even been brought to tears. Tears were foreign to both of them. Their home making it impossible to cry at all.

"She says he won't last longer then a day," Hidan whispered. "That the silver is already killing him."

"Do you believe that?" Naruto asked softly.

"I don't know," Hidan answered, turning his broken eyes to meet Naruto's own, "He is my first child. My first son. He's mine and I have to give him back before I even get a chance to know him. Haku was put out as soon as the baby was removed. He doesn't even get to see what our pup looks like. He won't get to hold him or touch him because his body is too exhausted to do anything but shiver in pain." taking a breath, Hidan turned to look at Haku, "I can't let Haku see him like this. I can't... it isn't fair to Haku, but I know it'll hurt more if he sees him. We had a name picked out. He was already named and now we won't ever get to use it."

"There is a way to save him," Naruto whispered, "remember?"

"Will it work though?" Hidan asked blankly. "We all heard the rumors back home but do we know if it works?"

"We can try it, what have we got to lose?" Naruto asked, knowing that the way he was thinking of could end in a disaster. It was a rumor and no more then that. The child could still die and Naruto could risk his own life in the process.

Looking down at his young, Hidan ran a finger down his face gently, lifting him high enough to place a kiss on his forehead. "Do I have the right to ask you this?" Hidan asked him. "I ask too much of you-"

"You have every right," Naruto answered. He caused this to happen when he attacked Hidan. He let his wolf take over. He was more beast then human and because of this, Hidan... he wouldn't let it happen. He'd save the pup and give Hidan the dream he had wanted for so long. "It is my desire." he stated

After a small hesitation, Hidan nodded, "Take him then. Save my son."

"I'll risk my life to give him his." Naruto promised as he took the child gently within his own grip. "If I do not return in three days time..." without finishing, Naruto turned to walk out of the room. Making his way down the stairs, he ignored the gasps and demands of him to return the pup. When Fugaku tried to stop him, he lifted his upper lip, flashing growing fangs in a warning.

"What are you doing!" Fugaku demanded, holding his ground. "Haven't you done enough!"

"No," Naruto answered, shifting the child to one arm, he used the other to grasp Fugaku around the throat, "I'm only beginning." with that he tossed the older wolf back into the room before disappearing outside, evading all the outside wolves with ease. "I'll save you pup, it is my promise to you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Naruto panted slightly as the rain fell upon him and the child. Pausing briefly, he looked around before moving quickly into a small opening beneath a tree. This would have to do, he thought as he placed the silent pup on the ground in front of him. He needed to be far away from everyone else in case they'd try and stop him. None of them knew of his intentions, none of them would know he was trying to save the pup and not kill it.

This was all just a story, a fairy tail to pass on from one to another. It was a story Naruto had heard from Hidan as a young pup, who in turn, had heard it from another. Everyone had a story on where it came from but none knew if their version was true. The story Naruto had heard was the most common one.

It was said a woman had wanted to save her child who had become ill. Unable to save her life herself, the woman had turned to the gods and begged for a savior. That night, as she slept beside her child, a vision had come to her. When she woke moments after the last image faded, she had set to follow her dreams. Giving half her soul away to her child, at the risk of her own death, the woman handed herself completely to her daughter, becoming almost one with the young pup, never once caring for her own life. Some stories said the woman died as the child lived to carry on, living twice the length of any wolf alive. Some say the woman had lived a life of harmony with her daughter.

Through both versions, the child had grown into a strong wolf and every young that came from her was said to carry the woman's soul. They were said to have created the first powerful pack of dominants.

In both versions, the child had lived...

"Little one," he whispered as he tore his own shirt off and looked down at the unmoving young, "I know you wish to rest the long rest and never open your eyes once more, but you can't. You can't leave a place you have yet to see." with one growing claw, he dug into the skin above his heart, just enough to draw blood. With the same finger, he rubbed the pup's lips gently, forcing the red liquid into his mouth. At the soft lick from the child's tongue, Naruto released a soft sigh. "Please let this work." he begged, "Please. I willing give my life for him to have his. I will take his place in death if a replacement is needed."

Taking a calming breath, Naruto held one clawed finger above his heart and another above the pup's. "Blood of my blood, I give thee. Breath of my breath, I place in thee. Soul of my soul, I hand to thee. Life of my life, I offer thee." without pause, he punctured both of their hearts.

Not moments later, his head flew back as pain overwhelmed him. Unable to stop himself, he took one last painful breath and howled his agony to the world.

**{:}**

"What are you doing Fuuka?" Sora asked from his resting place on their shared bed. With his arms crossed behind his head, he looked like the most relaxed wolf in the world. The fire of the candles in their room flickering over his bare scarred chest. "You have been pacing for an hour now."

"Shut up." Fuuka snapped in annoyance as she continued to pace. Sora grinned at her. He hoped she'd get used to him but at the same time he didn't want her to. The way she fought him or defied him was kind of a turn on. It annoyed him that she still craved Hidan, but he supposed in time she'd come to forget about the silver haired wolf and enjoy her new life as his mate.

"Fuuka," Sakura called out as she combed her hair and ignored the males trying to gain her attention. Sakura was one of the few dominant females that had yet to take a mate in their pack. Sora figured, like Tayuya and Karin, she was waiting for Naruto or Hidan to choose one of them. She made it no secret she wanted to birth Naruto's young, to claim the male. He was one of the strongest unmated males that could defeat her in a fight. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Fuuka answered. "Something isn't right."

"What exactly isn't right?" Kabuto asked boredly as his eyes followed Fuuka. Sora knew that Kabuto never found Fuuka appealing. Those two hated each other with a passion for unknown reasons. He never had to worry about anyone taking his female. Not even Hidan wanted her. Hell he, himself, didn't want her and was just as shocked as she was when they woke up tied to each other. Of course when he realized sex was amazing he came to be fond of her.

"Something is wrong." Fuuka said again. "Hidan..."

"What about Hidan?" Karin frowned when Fuuka didn't go on. "Naruto said he was going to him-"

"I don't know." Fuuka whispered as she stopped pacing and looked Sora in the eyes. Her own wide and unseeing. "Can't you see it? You are the alpha replacement. Can't you see?"

"See?" Sora frowned. Closing his own eyes, he searched for the links that would take him to Naruto or Hidan. They were both vague, almost gone but still there. He felt Hidan's pain but couldn't figure out why Hidan was in pain in the first place. He knew his voice would never reach Hidan, he wasn't able to speak the way only Naruto and Hidan seemed to be able to. No one could. The most he could do was feel their emotions when they were as strong as this. "Why is he...sad?" he frowned not opening his eyes. "Hidan..."

"Something is wrong with Naruto." Sakura cut him off, her own voice sounding faint. Opening his eyes, Sora found every wolf in the room frowning as they tried to figure out what was going on. Closing his eyes again, he pushed Hidan out of his mind and focused on Naruto. Not seconds later, he gasped as his body began to feel as if it were dying.

"Sora!" he heard someone yell as the pain went on and on. He knew whatever was happening was happening to Naruto. That this was their co-Alpha's pain and not his own. He tried to force his body to accept this but his mind wasn't listening. It claimed Naruto's pain as it's own and refused to let Sora free. The agony... Oh god it hurt.

'Sora,' he heard someone whisper as the pain went on and his body began to get weaker, 'This isn't your fight. Protect the pack.' Moments later, the connection to Naruto and Hidan broke completely.

With another gasp, his body dragged in air as if he had been holding his breath for hours. Slowly the pain faded as if it never were. When he opened his eyes, he found Fuuka looking down at him worriedly.

"Sora are you alright? What happened? What's going on?"

"Why can't I feel our Alpha?" Sakura asked. "Why do I only feel you?"

"Naruto cut us off." Sora panted as he sat up shakily, "He cut us off from himself and Hidan. Whatever's happening, is killing him."

"No!" Sakura cried, her hands covering her mouth. "No!"

"What do we do Alpha?" Karin asked. It took a second before Sora realized she was speaking to him. He wasn't Alpha, he was protecting the pack for Naruto and Hidan. He was waiting for their return. "Alpha?"

"We go to them." Sora stood. "Wherever they are, they need us."

"Who will protect our home?" Kabuto frowned as the others left to gather what they needed and spread the word. "Will we all go?"

"Our Alphas need us more then this place needs us." Sora stated. "We go to them. When we know they are safe, they'll lead us back to claim what is ours."

"Of course," Kabuto bowed and quickly ran out of the room.

"We're coming Alphas, we're coming."

**{:}**

Sasuke couldn't believe what was happening. Upstairs he heard Itachi and Deidara crying softly in Haku's room. He heard Hidan telling his father that Naruto was doing what was needed. He knew his family wasn't happy with this. Even now his uncles were searching for Naruto and the pup.

Moving to the front door, Sasuke looked out into the storm, wishing and begging that Naruto would appear. Why was this happening? Why was everything going to pieces. Why was Haku going to lose his pup?

"Sasuke?" his mother called from behind him, "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." Sasuke whispered faintly and closed his eyes. Naruto where are you?

"Sasuk-"  
"AH!" he screamed, clutching his head as he fell to his knees. The pain, oh god it hurt. Everything was fading away but the growing pain. Was this what death felt like? He thought before everything disappeared.

**{:}**

"What's happening to him!" Mikoto screamed in Hidan's face. "What's happening to my child!"

"Get the fuck out of my face." Hidan snarled, his claws digging into his clenched fist. He was so tempted to hit the female wolf. He was so tempted to rip out her throat. How dare she speak to him in such a way. It took all he had to not attack.

It had been a few hours since Sasuke had screamed as if he were dying. Two hours and a half since Naruto disappeared with his dying son. In that time he had put up with the other dominants, and had kept himself from shifting four times. Now the female dominant was pushing him again. He was a dominant from a world made of power. He was made to kill those that dared treat him like this.

"What is happe-"  
"He's surviving for three." Hidan snarled, his claws digging into her neck as he pulled her small form eye level. He didn't even remember moving, but he no longer cared. "If you dare treat me as another of yours, I'll fucking kill you." He vowed, ignoring the warning snarls from Fugaku and the others. Without a second thought, he tossed Mikoto toward the wall, uncaring of her limp form falling to the floor. "If any of you come near me, I'll kill you." he said softly, letting them feel the power he had kept hidden from them, he was alpha for a reason. He and Naruto were more then what they portrayed.

Watching all of them with his wolf's eyes, Hidan moved to Sasuke's pale gasping body. The young wolf was shaking, his body getting smaller with the amount of stress he was going through. He was slowly beginning to look like a skeleton. "You are stronger then I thought, Sasuke." he whispered, kneeling beside the young teen. Hidan couldn't feel Naruto's connection to him anymore. He couldn't feel the other portion of his pack anymore. He was cut off from them. It was as if Naruto knew he was dying and had cut all ties from him, cutting everyone else off as well. Cutting him from his child. The only bond he couldn't break was the one he was slowly forming with Sasuke. It was Sasuke's bond to Hidan's pack, in this town, that was keeping all three of them alive. Through Sasuke, he felt the two other lives, almost like shadows, barely clinging on. "Hold on to them, Sasuke." he begged gruffly, placing his palms, one above the other, above the raven's heart. "Don't let them go." with that, Hidan tossed his head back in pain, as he poured the power of the pack into Sasuke's body. He felt, more then saw, Sasuke's body arching up with the amount of power going through him.

Taking from the pack, he still felt, Hidan poured all that he could into the raven, making sure to take no power from the pregnant wolves within his pack. Naruto's theory wasn't working, the legends were just fairy tales. They weren't real. It was threatening to take him and his son away. It was trying to drag Sasuke down too, but Sasuke wasn't following. Sasuke was fighting death's call and keeping the others from passing completely over.

"Hidan?" he heard Itachi gasp, moving to his side.

"DON'T!" he growled, stopping the raven from moving closer. He couldn't let Itachi touch him, not like this. Clenching his teeth together, he tried to focus on his next words, but nothing would come out. He couldn't form the sentence he needed for them to find his son and Naruto. His body was refusing to move. He couldn't scream if he wanted to anymore.  
"What do you want me to do?" Itachi cried, his hands wringing together. Hidan wished he'd go with Deidara and Haku, to wait with the blonde and watch over the sleeping raven. He didn't want the chance of harming another unborn pup or his mate.

"GO!" he got out, feeling his skin pull tightly over his bones.

"Itachi go to Deidara and Haku," he heard Madara demand. "Go!" When the submissive ran from the room, Madara turned to him. "You best not let them go." Madara growled unable to do anything. They were not of the same pack, their life force wouldn't jump from one to the other. Sasuke may have been his nephew, been his blood, but they were no longer connected like this anymore.

Instead of answering, Hidan kept the power of his pack going through Sasuke. He could feel his other wolves, see them, falling and stumbling as he took what was rightfully his. He could feel his submissives willingly giving what they had as the bonded dominants did the same. He forcefully pulled power from those that fought him and gave it all to Sasuke. He would not lose his submissive. He would not lose his brother. He didn't wish to lose his son.

**{:}**

Sasuke felt cold. He felt his body shutting down, and wishing to give up. He felt exhausted and drained and the darkness just kept getting thicker. He couldn't see his hands or anything but the darkness. He could hear, though, and he heard a lot. He heard people screaming and begging to be saved. He heard people crying and sobbing as if they were being tortured and unable to die.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to stay in this place. He wished someone would turn on a light and save him. He wished someone would get him away from here. He could feel his pack, but they were drawing farther away from him.

"Don't leave me here!" he cried out, his voice mixing with the others. "Please don't leave me here!"

He tried to run, but his body wouldn't move. He was stuck, unable to shift, unable to blink, unable to hide. "Please someone! Please help me!" He could hear the voices getting closer. He could feel the cold getting stronger. He could feel hands touching him. Each of them dragging him down, begging to be saved as well. "Help me!" he sobbed, trying to break free as he was pulled toward the ground. "Help me! HELP! Someone HELP ME!"

"Sa..."

"Let go! Don't touch me! Let me go!"

"Sasu..."

He felt the floor shifting, moving to cradle him within it's dead embrace. He knew if he went under, he would never come back up. "NARUTO!"

"Sasuke!"

It was like that voice froze everything. Shut everything down. The hands released him and disappeared. The cold moved farther away but refused to leave him.  
"Naruto! Help me!" he screamed, wishing the darkness would fade away.

"Sasuke!" he heard his dominant call out again. His voice sounding slightly scared-not for himself and the place they were in, but for Sasuke-bouncing all around him. "Sasuke!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out again, "I'm over here! Naruto help me!" in a flash, the hands were back, pulling him under the ground faster. Dragging him by his feet and the voices were telling him he had to save them. "Naruto help me! Please! Naruto!" he screamed, his fear forcing his body to struggle, to move, to clutch onto anything as he fought to get out of the hole. "Naruto!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted again, sounding as if he came from above him. Tilting his head up, Sasuke made out Naruto's form, his body slightly faded, looking more like an outline of a ghost. It was like his body was a light, for all around him, things began to take shape. Things began to form pictures. "Close your eyes!" Naruto demanded.

Doing as told, Sasuke held onto the edge of the hole and kicked his legs weakly to try and break free of the hands. Holding in his sobs, he struggled to go to Naruto. Feeling hands on his wrist, he screamed. The hands were going to take him before Naruto could get him.

Releasing one hand from the ground, he clawed and struggled to get away.

"I've got you!" Naruto shouted, pulling him up as the hands pulled him down. "I've got you! I won't let go!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke whimpered, his body feeling like it was ripping in two. "I don't want to be here! I don't want to be here! Please don't leave me here!"

"I won't. I won't leave you." Naruto promised, "You're MINE!"

Just like that, Sasuke felt the hands let him go. He felt his body being pulled up and then he felt Naruto around him. He felt Naruto's arms holding him close. He felt...whole. "Naruto." he whispered as his and Naruto's ghost forms seemed to mold into one, becoming a light all their own. It was beautiful, free, perfect. It was a harmony that would never stop singing. It was a melody that would always continue playing. He felt their souls connect, touch, intertwine and merge into one. He couldn't tell where his body stopped and Naruto's began. He was Naruto and Naruto was him.

Gasping, Sasuke felt the new power moving through him. This was Naruto. This was his mate. Finally, they were one. Their souls were tangled together for all time. "Naruto?"

"I'll see you when you open your eyes." Naruto whispered into his head. "When I let go, wake up."

"Don't! Don't leave me!"

"I won't." Naruto chuckled. "You're mine for all time."

With a gust of wind, Sasuke's eyes opened, his gaze colliding with Hidan's.

"Welcome back." Hidan smirked, his body looking fragile enough to break.

"Alpha?" Sasuke whispered in shock.

"Yea-" Hidan got out as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. With a speed he didn't realize he had, Sasuke caught his Alpha just before he hit the floor. Turning his head, he found his father watching him in shock. "Help me!" he shouted, his voice jarring the other man to attention.

Hours later, with Hidan resting silently in Itachi's room with his mates, gaining back what he gave away, Sasuke waited in his back yard for Naruto to come to him.

From what he had understood from his family was that he had been close to death for a week and Hidan had been supplying the life force of the pack, mostly his own, to keep him, Naruto, and the baby alive. He knew Naruto was alive, but he didn't know about the baby. He wasn't connected to the baby, only to Naruto. He smelt like Naruto completely, his mother had said so. She had told him that she couldn't even smell the pack on him, his scent was no longer his own. That the blonde dominant had claimed him in a way no one had claimed another in any life time.

Reaching up, Sasuke ran his fingers gently over the mark he had seen in the mirror. It had brought happiness like no other when he had seen the three comma's circling each other on his shoulder. His only problem was it was so small. Knowing that Naruto had his own version of the marking somewhere on his body, brought Sasuke joy like no other.

In that week that he had fought to hold on for there lives, a new group of wolves had appeared, all stood on the outskirts waiting for something. His Mother had said that all the generations of wolves in their town had banded together to keep the invading dominants out of their home. So far a fight had not happened, but all of them suspected one to come soon. Submissive were being hidden away as they waited for any attack to come. Sasuke knew that only Naruto and Hidan could stop the growling invaders, each as powerful as any Alpha, from doing anything foolish.

A movement toward the right made Sasuke turn quickly. With a grin overtaking his face, Sasuke jumped from his porch and ran toward the blonde emerging from the shadows, a ripped shirt covering his tan skin. "Naruto!" he shouted in joy as he got closer. With laughter spilling from his lips, he jumped toward Naruto, earning a kiss in return as his mate caught him. "Naruto!"

"Little wolf," Naruto smiled gently holding him with one arm.

"You're okay...I was scared something happened...the wolves they've surrounded the town-"

"They won't attack." Naruto promised him, kissing him gently, almost as if he was trying to understand. "They are waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Sasuke frowned.

"Me." the blonde said handing over a tiny bundle that Sasuke hadn't noticed before. "Take the baby to Hidan."

"He's alive." Sasuke whispered in shock as the tiny angel slept away in his arms. "You saved him."

"You saved him little wolf." Naruto stated, running a hand in awe through Sasuke's hair. His features unable to hide the shock. Sasuke wondered if he looked the same. If he had the same happy and joyful expression in his eyes as Naruto. "You are mine Sasuke." Naruto whispered softly to himself, almost as if he couldn't believe it. "You are mine."

"Yes," Sasuke nodded, clasping one hand with Naruto's own. The tan wolf's hand was bigger then his own, almost engulfing his pale hand completely. "Naruto?" Sasuke said when the dominant's face looked slightly troubled.

Shaking his head, Naruto said, "Go inside. I'm sure Haku is beyond tired of waiting for his son to be returned."

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked when Naruto moved a few steps back, his hands twitching as if...as if they were wishing to touch him. Sasuke didn't want to stop touching Naruto either. He wanted to hold him for all time. To never let him go. "Naruto?"

"I'll be back." Naruto answered softly. "On your life I promise." with that the blonde turned and ran.

After a small hesitation, Sasuke did as Naruto ordered of him. He'd give Haku his son and then he'd run after Naruto. His mate wouldn't face the outsiders alone without him.

**{:}**

Naruto ran where he felt the most power. He knew Sora and Fuuka combined would always generate it to such a degree. Mated pairs, especially dominants, couldn't help but do this. They could hide it all they wished but some of their power would always leak out. He knew that they knew he was coming. He knew they were wondering why he had cut them off and that Sora was angry. He could feel the threat from this pack overpowering the air.

They knew, Naruto thought, they knew that Hidan had mated and that he had taken a mate as well. They knew that Naruto had almost given his life for a pup but not whose pup. They were angry because Naruto had cut them off from him and Hidan. He had given the pack to Sora and they didn't like that. They didn't like that he and Hidan could have died for a weak wolf.

He knew it wasn't the generations keeping Sora's wolves back, but the unknown of what was in this town. They knew nothing here. They weren't afraid to die, but they weren't stupid either. Death happened no matter what one did, but to them, to Naruto and Hidan, only the stupid wolves died faster. They'd wait and see what happened before they attacked. That was how they survived.

There was only one they would attack on sight, and only if they had a higher chance of more surviving, and that was Kakuzu. Kakuzu was wanted dead by all of them.

Pushing passed the trees, Naruto found Madara, Izuna, Fugaku, and three other wolves. Before he could even try to guess them he knew. Hashirama, alpha of the first generation and his mate Mito, both strong dominants that had watched their daughter and son in law pass during an attack. He knew both had raised their grandchildren as their own and that Tsunade was one of them. He knew Hashirama and Madara were good friends and that he constantly teased Madara for not making the dead line, like he did, to enter the first pack. He knew the third wolf was Hashirama's brother, Tobirama, and that he was in Madara's pack, born only a year after his brother. He knew Tobirama's mate had passed, taking their first and his only child. He also knew that Tobirama, had long ago accepted the fact and lived his life protecting his pack and bickering with his brother simply because he thought it was amusing. He knew all of the other generations past as well. He knew Madara's mate had also passed, but that he had three sons. He knew Izuna's mate was being protected by their own two young.

With a frown, Naruto tried to figure out how he knew this until he realized that it was Sasuke unknowingly supply the information. How had this happened? He had mated a submissive...he tried to be angry, to be pissed, but he wasn't. In truth he had never felt more happy then this. He was...home.

"Naruto." Madara growled, his eyes narrowed.

Ignoring the wolf, Naruto moved passed them and headed toward the waiting wolves.

Sora, Fuuka, Kabuto, Sakura, Karin, and a few others. He knew the rest surrounded the rest of the town. No one would come in or out without them knowing. They were a hundred strong and growing, they wouldn't back down from a fight or give up their home. And yet they were here.

"Who protects what is yours?" Naruto asked Sora, standing only twenty feet from the glaring wolf.

"No one," Sora answered, his voice unable to hide the anger or hate he had. Whether it was for him or for the wolves behind him, Naruto didn't know. "It was left unprotected so that we could come and aid our _Alphas_. But you are ours no longer."

"And still you stand. Even after you see, you stay." Naruto countered. He didn't care for the wolves in this town, only one would be worth his life and only a few others, would he fight for. Hidan was his brother, and what was his, Naruto would protect. He'd fight to keep his brother's mates safe, but he'd die for Sasuke any day.

"In hopes that we were wrong." Sora snarled. "You left us for them. Hidan traded us for weaklings."

"Hidan found his mates."

"I was meant to be his!" Fuuka growled, moving passed Sora, "I was always meant to mate him!"

"His wolf did not agree." Naruto glared. "His wolf found three others to protect-"

"Just as yours found one as well, isn't that true?" Sakura asked softly, her anger hidden behind her pain. "I've waited years for you. I would have waited the rest of my life, but you chose another."

"He is mine."

"He will die." Karin glared. "Is this your idea of fun? Finding submissives to kill for entertainment?"

"If you touch him, you will die!" Naruto snarled, moving forward as he felt his wolf rising. Just the thought of them harming Sasuke pissed him off. It was pushing him passed his limits of sanity.

"He's already dead." Sora bit out, his body on the verge of shifting. "Just as you and Hidan will be."

"Do you truly think to take me on?" Naruto smirked cruelly. "I did not become strong by being weak. Hidan did not take the throne by doing nothing."

"You should have ruled since the beginning." Sakura stated. "It was you that kept us or any from fighting for his place."

"You would never have been able to rule with or without me there. Hidan is still stronger then any of you."

"Then where is he?" Fuuka hissed. "Where is that bastard that abused me in a way that no one should have been tortured."

"You are mated," Naruto reminded her, feeling the wolves behind him readying themselves for an attack. They were strong, but Sora's pack was filled with dominants, each of them within a running distance. They wouldn't care about the wolves they faced off against, they'd still fight to get to their Alpha. They were willing to kill and die. The generation wolves, they would never match up to one of them. Sora's pack fought dirty, did all they could to win. They didn't care who died, so long as they won. That was how Naruto and Hidan had trained them.

"So she is," Sora glared at the female, "Another thing to hate Hidan for. Another thing to wish his death over."

"Naruto," Sakura said, "Come with us. Leave them and rule us as you did before. Do not die for foolishness. Let Hidan have this pathetic excuse for a pack."

"And what of my mate?" Naruto question, wishing to laugh at her stupidity. To think he'd go somewhere, anywhere, without his little wolf.

"End his life here and take one of u-"

"Not going to happen." Sasuke stated, moving out of the trees.

"I told you to stay within the house." Naruto growled, watching Sasuke move to his side.

"You said to take the baby, and I did." Sasuke said as he took Naruto's hand in both of his.

"A submissive that does not listen?" Karin laughed cruelly, "Best kill him now and save him the hell later."

"As if you could touch me." Sasuke glared at the red haired wolf. To think she thought to take Naruto from him. Naruto was his. Naruto would never be anyone elses. "You are far from being the ideal mate. It is no wonder Naruto didn't want you."

"Sasuke." Naruto warned, moving him behind his taller form.

"You're mine, Naruto." Sasuke whispered into Naruto's back. "I won't let you go. Where you go so do I."

"I am trying to protect you, little wolf." Naruto stated.

"Then let me do the same for you."

"Do you side with us Naruto?" Sora called out, "Do you return home with us or die here?"

"Why do you wish a battle? Why not leave?" Madara called out.

"Traitors always die." Sora stated.

"Many will die if you attack."

"Then so be it." Fuuka hissed. "Let them all die. I will laugh in joy as I end those bitches lives that took Hidan."

"You will go through me first." Hidan called out, moving through the trees with Kiba and Gaara at his sides.

Naruto watched in shock as the silver haired wolf walked forward, his body looking as if he were on his last seconds of life. But still he walked with his head held high and each step as powerful as any Alpha.

"Thank you." Hidan said when he stopped beside him. "I have no other thing to say."

"You are my brother Hidan," Naruto said grasping Hidan's hand in his own. "You would have done the same for me. Though your plan was foolish and never would have worked."

"Plan...you knew...Sasuke." Hidan said, turning his thin face toward the confused raven. "You bonded tightly. I cannot even feel my own pack within him."

"Our pack." Naruto stated, causing Hidan to meet his own gaze quickly. "We stand as one."

"One." Hidan smirked. With that, a rush of power ran from Naruto's own body and into the silver haired alpha, from there, it hit every wolf within Hidan's pack, bringing them power like none had ever felt before. With his body now in tact, Hidan turned toward Fuuka, "For threatening what is mine, you will die first."

Sora glared hatefully at the two that were once theirs. That once ruled them, owned them. How could they betray them! How could they betray him? He stood by them, protected them as they protected him. He would have followed them anywhere. Done anything for them. For Naruto.

Now the one he looked up to was mated to a submissive, a weak wolf in need of dying. Naruto had crippled himself on purpose. There were lots of stronger wolves, females that would have died to have his young. Why didn't he choose them? Bind them and claim them as he did the submissive hidden behind his back? He couldn't smell the raven haired wolf, only Naruto. Everything on that wolf smelt and spoke of Naruto.

That wolf stole what was theirs, turned what was theirs against them. Made him turn his back on what they all worked so hard to keep. Was their pack unimportant?

Turning his glare toward Hidan, he felt his rage double. This was the male that had claimed his mate's heart. That his mate wished him to be. This male had left him and claimed others. Turned his back on them all those years ago, stealing Naruto from them, along side the weak one. It was him that started it all. That ruined them. Was he not happy with just leaving them, did he also have to take Naruto too!

Feeling his fangs and claws grow, Sora closed his eyes and tossed back his head, howling his rage into the air. Calling his wolves to him. When the last note of his voice grew distant, he opened his midnight eyes and looked into Naruto's own changed eyes. The blue more pronounced. Without another sound he ran toward him, shifting with each step.

Naruto pushed Sasuke farther behind him when the wolves began to move, each shifting and running at them, right behind Sora. "Go to the trees!" he shouted to Sasuke as he moved forward, catching Sora in the air and slamming him to the ground. With a grunt, Sora turned over, jumped back up, and attacked again. Jumping out of the way, Naruto snarled when another wolf latched onto his back and brought him down. Without looking he knew it was Sakura. Her smell invading his senses.

Biting back a cry of pain, Naruto tossed himself backward, catching her between himself and the ground. Reaching back one hand, he clenched his fist around her muzzle and began to squeeze as hard as he could. He heard the bones crushing together and the teeth beginning to snap. Knowing she, like the others of her pack, were trained to withstand pain, he knew she wouldn't let go. When another wolf latched onto his leg, he kicked out, slamming the heel of his boot against their face over and over again, ignoring the smell of blood, he cursed. Knowing if he shifted, he'd be worse off, Naruto rocked his body, trying to break free of Sakura's jaws and the other wolves holding him down. He felt his own skin breaking and tearing, his own blood dripping. He felt his anger growing but it would never take over him, anger would be his down fall.

Sasuke watched in shock as more wolves arrived and the generations wolves held them off just barely. The talents of the generations making them a challenge, but the unfeeling pain and the unending amount of wolves of the outsiders was an even bigger challenge. They outnumbered the generations three to one. Some even leaving their own as they charged with others to stronger wolves of the generations, taking them down.

His uncles and his parents were holding their own, using their speed to land hits as the evaded quickly, saving their wolves one by one. Zabuza was being surrounded and only Tobirama and Hashirama watching his back kept him from falling. Turning his gaze back to his mate, he stilled.

He watched as the pink bitch attacked from behind and as the one known as Sora joined the fray and kept Naruto from getting back up. Unable to stay back and do nothing, Sasuke felt himself shifting, his body growing and he was running. He dodged passed fighting wolves, and when he was close enough, he bunched up his legs and sprang, catching one of the wolves holding his mate down. With his teeth digging into the neck beneath him, Sasuke held on for all that he was worth, trying to think beyond the fear and shock at what he was doing. When the wolf he held on to tried to buck him off, Sasuke tightened his hold. Only when something struck him from behind, did he fall. Slightly dazed, he shook his head and tried to stand.

When a growl was heard behind him, he froze and slowly turned his head to find another raven haired wolf moving toward him, teeth bared and body tense and ready to attack. With speed that only Uchiha wolves were known for, he moved, just barely missing the wolf snapping and crashing into the ground he was at seconds ago. When the wolf got back up, his anger clear as day in his eyes, Sasuke felt his heart beat pick up speed. Taking a few steps back, Sasuke watched the other wolf stalk toward him, looking as if he was enjoying it. Keeping his gaze on the other wolf, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and let a soft growl escape his lips. He could out run this wolf, but there would always be another as he was quickly finding out when more wolves began to surround him. They'd tear him to pieces if they caught him. With quick circles, he barred his teeth in vane, trying to make himself look braver and more dangerous then he actually felt.

When they only moved closer, caging him farther in, Sasuke growled louder. Why didn't he listen to Naruto? Why did he always have to be so stubborn?

Just as the first wolf jumped at him, Sasuke prepared his body for the impact. Out of nowhere, a flash of gold flew over him and he felt his breath leave his body, when he saw that it was Naruto. His mate's wolf form striking out fast and powerful. Every wolf that surrounded him falling and evading quickly to avoid Naruto's strikes. When the last wolf that surrounded Sasuke fell or ran farther away, Naruto turned his narrowed gaze toward him, blood falling down his body. Before Sasuke could move, Naruto jumped over him again and caught another wolf, taking her down quickly and stumbling slightly when Sora came from nowhere and jumped him again. Turning quickly Naruto and he collided, their jaws snapping around each other. Their bodies trying to dominate the other. Their paws forcing the other back as they held the other closer, each fighting to knock the other over and end the battle.

At the grip around his neck, Sasuke whimpered in pain and tried to break free. The hold on him only tightening painfully, his fur being torn from him slightly as they shook him like a rag doll. Crying out, he tried to move out form under them, only to find them holding his form below them. Their legs on either side of his body. Breathing was becoming impossible as the spots grew in his vision and his body began to go limp.

**{:}**

Hidan met Fuuka head on. Her anger and hate riding her, forcing her attacks. Her jaws snapping at him, her claws cutting at him. She showed her pain with each movement she made. With each strike she took. She attacked, never once backing off even when Hidan went forward, pushing her back, forcing her to the ground. She refused to stop. She refused to end this as she grabbed any part of his body with her teeth, ignoring the wounds Hidan gave her. She held on, tightening her hold on him, leaving her stomach, her throat, her weak points open and he took advantage of it. He would make her pay for threatening his mates, his family, his young. He would kill her and make her the example for all to see.

Grabbing onto her throat with his jaws, he squeezed and shook her until she went limp. He clawed at her body, leaving gaping wounds. He wanted to show the world he would do whatever he needed to, to keep his family safe. That he had no qualms about killing so brutally. Pulling back he met her pain filled gaze, saw the tears and the heartbreak falling with each tear. He saw the love she had for him, and it hurt that he couldn't give it back. To know someone loved him to such a degree...how was it possible? How was it possible to love someone this much, that wouldn't love you back at all?

Shifting back to his human form, he watched as Sora ran from out of no where and crouched at her side. Licking her bloody fur as he whimpered. Just like that, Hidan felt drained. He felt tired. Old. Was this what it would have come down to? Was this the only result, no matter what he did, would it have always ended like this?

At the sound of a chilling noise, Hidan turned to find his brother protecting his mate. Standing guard and looking like a hell hound come to life.

**{:}**

Just when he thought he was done for, Sasuke fell to the ground in a heap as the body above him was gone. Panting as he tried to gain air, he stayed where he was, his body refusing to move. When another body moved over his, covering his own again, he felt his heart freeze, but when they made no move to attack him, he sniffed and found it was Naruto covering him. His mate's growl exploding over the air and freezing everyone in place.

The noise Naruto made sounded as if it belonged in a horror movie. It belonged where you'd expect to find the entrance of hell. It scared him so bad he thought he'd wet himself.

"Why do you choose him! Why them over me!" Sakura screamed, standing in her human form, her body bare of clothes, blood drying on her as more fell from broken skin. "I love you! I've always loved you! I would have done anything for you! I would have given you strong pups! Given you the life you always wanted! I would have protected our young alongside you! We could of had our own pack! Our own family!" she cried as tears fell. Moving toward them with slow shaky steps, she went on, "Why! Why don't you love me!"

"You were never made for him." Hidan answered as he moved beside them, smelling of his and Fuuka's blood. The female in question gasping a few feet away as she tried to stay alive. Beside her, Sora licked her wounds and tried to keep her breathing. The scent in the air telling them all that Hidan had kept his promise. "Now I say once and no more, leave and take what was left to you or stay and gain what we offer you."

"What do you offer?" another wolf asked, surprising everyone in the generations packs by his looks. If none knew better, all would assume he was a Uchiha.

"Freedom." Hidan answered. "Here, you do not fight to eat, to sleep, to drink. Here you do not kill your young to save them. Here you do not kill the weak. Here you protect your pack, your family. You create freedom and hope. It is not death around the next corner, or charging the newest wolf because they aren't one of us."

"You are no longer one of us." the same wolf said. "You left us. Betrayed us."

"I left to fight Kakuzu. I stayed away because of my family."

"Fuuka wanted to be what you denied her."

"Fuuka was never meant to be. She did not call my wolf. She did not call me. I made her no promises, Sai. I made no plans to make her mine."

"What family do you claim? Were we not family?" Sai asked, looking at Naruto and then turning his gaze to Sasuke beneath him, being sheltered and protected by the blonde Alpha. "Were we not family too?"

"You are, but the family I speak of...They are mated to me. Each carrying a child of my blood within their bodies. One baring me a son." Hidan answered, shocking the outsiders.

"The life Naruto would have died for..." Sai whispered in shock as realization dawned on all of them. The babe, Hidan's son was the child that Naruto cut ties with them to save. Naruto risked his life for a pup, knowing that it was Hidan's pup...

"My first child." Hidan nodded.

"You think I'd stay with the one that killed my mate!" Sora shouted, tears falling angrily down his face as he cradled Fuuka's lifeless body in his arms. Her wolf form looking the same size as he, but seemed as light as a feather as he carried her effortlessly. "My heart fills with hate for you. Rage blossoms and spread through my blood. Be it the last thing I do, your life will end through my hands. Your young, your mates, each will die slowly, and you will be unable to save them."

Growling Hidan took a few steps forward, his body already carrying the characteristics of a shift. "You touch them and you will not live beyond their first cry!" he snarled, the generations wolves moving to stand behind him, each of them promising death even as blood and exhaustion fell from their forms.

"I do not fear you..." Sora glared. "But you fear him. Kakuzu will take your life and I theirs. You will feel their deaths. On this I promise my soul to." without another word, Sora turned and was gone. A few wolves following him, Sakura and Karin being two of them, and shockingly, a few that stayed behind.

"He will be back." Kabuto stated quietly. "He is never one to back down from such a thing. He'll mourn his mate, for even we are not heartless. Then he'll come back. They'll come back."

"Let them. Each one will be another death against them." Hidan answered angrily, his body trembling with suppressed rage. The thought of his mates in harms way...it killed him.

"They'll join Kakuzu. He did leave an open invitation." Sai said looking over a few wolves left unmoving on the ground, the majority of them local wolves. Death could always be avoided, he knew this, and yet...death was what made life seem more important. It constantly reminded them of what could be gone in moments. Of what needed to be appreciated and loved all the more. In his pack, death was common enough but it never hurt any less. Not only was their pack a wolf weaker, but it was one wolf smaller. One wolf that...it was best not to dwell on those things.

"I know. I am ready to face them."

"No, you are preparing but not ready." Kabuto said as fifteen of his wolves moved behind him. "But we will help you to achieve that state."

"You'll stay?" Madara asked in surprise when the rest of the outsiders shifted and stood, covered in blood and wounds, watching them.

"It is our place to stand with our alpha." Sai answered. "Sora may have lead us for the time being, but he wasn't...he wasn't wolf enough to keep us strong. We were always ruled by Hidan and Naruto. If our Alphas choose this as their home, then so do we."

"You say this now, but why did you attack?" Hashirama demanded angrily. "We could-"

"We are still wolves that follow orders. We were not invited to stay and our pack is first before all else. You should know this wolf." Kabuto smirked. "Once the invitation came forth, we chose our places. The others will follow Kakuzu or go back to fight for the home we left behind. Instead of one, we are broken into three. Three packs that will never become whole again."

"It is hard giving up our home, but we will make do. If this life is as Hidan says, then...I will fight to stay." Sai answered as he turned to Hidan. "Alpha, do you accept us once more?"

"Yes."

**{:}**

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said as he sat on his bed and allowed Naruto to look over his wounds. He could have dealt with his family, his pack, the world being angry at him for joining a battle he had no right to be in, but he didn't want his mate angry at him. Having Naruto angry at him was not what Sasuke wanted. "I couldn't leave you by yourself." Sasuke went on when Naruto simply continued to wipe the blood from the back of his neck and gently lick the wound, the other wounds already seen to. "Naruto-"

"I told you to run from the battle. I did not say run into it." Naruto stated angrily, as he continued to lick the blood off and sending shivers of pleasure through Sasuke's body. He highly doubted he should have been feeling his body heating up to such a degree. Especially an hour after he was attacked and with his mate angry at him.

"I was protecting you!" Sasuke growled in annoyance, surprised at his outburst. He was going to blame it on the new wolves. Their bonds had sent another shiver of power through Hidan's pack. Making all wonder how both Naruto and Hidan had given up such power to begin with.

"You do not protect me!" Naruto growled pushing away from him and stalking around the room. "My life is nothing! Yours is meant to be kept safe at all times!"

"Your life isn't nothing!" Sasuke snapped, standing up and blocking Naruto, keeping his mate from pacing. "Your life means everything to me." he whispered. "I don't want you to die. I don't want to lose you. When they attacked...Naruto, you-"

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. "My little wolf, I cannot always be kept safe. I will risk my life if it means securing yours. Your life is my life. Your safety is my own. Seeing you like that, being attacked and almost taken away from me...Sasuke, I felt my heart dying too. I didn't know if I would get to you in time. If I would save you. I felt your life fading, and it was as if I was dying beside you. I have never cried in my life, but I know if anything were to happen to you, I would cry long after I took my last breath." with that, Naruto tilted his head and kissed him.

His lips were firm and strong, brushing against his own in gentle movements. Yet to Sasuke, it was perfect. Taking his breath and speeding up his heart beat. Naruto began to nibble on his bottom lip, his strong arms pulling him closer. Sasuke knew the world had disappeared. It was no longer in existence. Reaching up one hand, he let it brush the back of his mate's neck, his other hand resting on Naruto's chest, above his heart. The hectic beat beneath his hand encouraged Sasuke's to follow. Finding himself being laid gently on his bed, Sasuke opened his eyes and met Naruto's own gaze, his mate's body cradled between his thighs. His blue eyes filled with want and need. "Never place yourself in danger again."

"Na-"

"I hope we are not interrupting." Hidan called into the room as he entered.

"You see that you are and you make no move to leave." Naruto called out, turning his gaze to the door and ignoring Sasuke's blushing and trying to push him off. He supposed it was a submissive thing. To be embarrassed so quickly over something so natural. And for some reason, he had no problem with his brother interrupting them at such a time.

With a grin, Hidan walked farther into the room, his mates right behind him along with a tiny bundle in Haku's arms. "I thought you would like to officially meet my first born."

"He's well?" Naruto asked, moving to stand and helping Sasuke to his feet. "The young-"

"Sumaru not young." Haku clarified as he moved around Hidan to bring forth the small baby. "I want to thank you for saving him." the raven smiled stopping beside Hidan. His eyes slightly red and puffy. Even now they shimmered with tears but Haku kept them from falling.

"It was my right." Naruto bowed, his eyes looking over the child's sleeping face. "He will grow strong, there is no doubt of it."

"He should, he has my blood and your life flowing within his body." Hidan answered. "His scent is a mix of both of ours. If I didn't know, I would have no idea who he belonged to."

"Then they'll be less then likely to attack him in fear of either of us attacking." Naruto nodded as he watched Sasuke move to look the child over. The expression on his little wolf's face letting Naruto know that Sasuke craved what Haku had. Naruto wanted to say that they would be making their own soon-

Feeling the air leave his body, Naruto finally realized what having a mate meant. He would have someone to love and care for. To protect. He would have someone to create a family with. This submissive, this wolf...he would be able to have what was always denied to him. One day Sasuke would even hold their own young, within his body, then his arms. He'd give daughters and sons. Naruto could picture it now. He could see Sasuke with his belly growing and a child in his arms. He could hear their pups cries and laughter as if it were happening.

"It still stuns me too." Hidan said standing beside him, watching the submissive wolves coo over the young pup. "Knowing that they are mine. It's like a dream and every day I'm pinching myself to see if it's real. Your heart beats miles a second just looking at them. Sometimes I have to walk off on my own to cherish all of this, to enjoy this present I was worthy to have."

"This feeling will never fade." Naruto stated instead of asked.

"Do you want it to?"

"No." he shook his head, catching Sasuke's gaze with his own. Loving the way his beautiful beloved smiled just for him. Loving the way Sasuke turned away, blushing slightly as he ran his finger gently through Sumaru's dark hair as Haku allowed him to hold the pup. Someday it would be his own pup within his arms. "A gift for every day of my life."

"If I may..." Fugaku called from the doorway, watching the submissives coo over the sleeping child on the bed.

Lifting his gaze from Sasuke, Naruto turned toward the man.

"Can you and Hidan come with me?" the man asked, looking as if it pained him to do so.

"Of course." Hidan nodded, "We'll be back. Do not leave this room." he ordered the submissives.

"We're protected here-" Itachi started in surprise only to quiet down at a duel look from both Naruto and Hidan. "Of course." he said quickly.

With a nod toward Naruto, Hidan walked passed Fugaku. Spotting Sai relaxing, to eyes that didn't know him, by the banister, he sent the wolf a look, gaining a slight bow of the raven's head before Sai walked passed them, standing guard outside the door. "Kabuto has a group watching the outside, another group guards your home, and still another protects the borders of your lands." was all Sai spoke before going quiet again.

"Fugaku." Naruto said, getting the annoyed wolf to lead the way down the stairs. By the way he held his head and took each stride, Naruto knew they had offended the man. From Fugaku's point of view, he could only assume that their words had called him weak and unable to fend and protect their mates. And in a way, both Naruto and Hidan were thinking just that. Though Fugaku was an Uchiha wolf, he still had a long way to go to meet the standards of one of their own back home. Even if the man was fast, he'd take a while to gain the power that both Naruto and Hidan had acquired over time, pain, hardship, and built to their satisfaction.

Once they were in the study, the only room that held sound proof walls, Naruto tensed slightly, his frown deepening as his eyes narrowed. In the room was all of the Alpha leaders of the generation wolves. From Hashirama to Madara and now Fugaku and Hidan. Why he was here, Naruto could only guess. He wasn't Alpha, that was Hidan's spot. Naruto was just the second wolf that protected Hidan's back. That made sure their Alpha would continue on and start his own line of wolves made from his seed. That was what they had agreed on once upon a time, that if either of them were to ever start a family, the other would protect their mate and young. Of course, Naruto had always thought Hidan's line would carry, never his own.

"Why are we here." Hidan demanded instead of asked, his stance on the defense and ready for any sort of attack on the others part.

"Calm yourself wolf." Hashirama raised his hands in the air, showing he meant no harm. "We did not bring you to fight. Just to talk."

"Then begin speaking." Hidan bit out, being more aggressive then he should have been. Naruto supposed that it was only because Hidan wished to be with his mates and young, not here. Hidan was alpha to the max, always protecting and guarding what was his. His pup most likely brought those two feelings higher and Naruto knew that when the other two pups came, Hidan would be unbearable. He knew Hidan would stop going to school and would force Haku to do the same, possibly even the other two. His wolf had to be demanding it. Naruto's own wolf was. It wanted to be with Sasuke. Wanted to take him and claim him properly. Wanted to bind their bodies like they did their souls. Wanted to get him with a young as quickly as possible. Naruto wanted all this too, but he...he wasn't sure what was stopping him, his wolf was hesitant to take the next step as much as he. Was it the threat of Kakuzu stilling their movements?

"The wolves you brought within your pack..." Madara started looking toward the other two. "The fifteen that stayed, are they dangerous?"

"To those that attack our pack, yes. They will protect our wolves." Hidan answered.

"Yet they only protect this house, the border, Sasuke's room." Fugaku growled.

"Because that is where our mates are." Hidan said. "The rest of my pack has yet to prove themselves to them. They are just wolves within the same family to them and not worthy to die for. Haku, Itachi, Deidara, Sasuke, and my pups are ours. Claimed by us and to their eyes, they have gained instant protection. My mates and young, Naruto's mate and future young, will always be their first priority. It is how our wolves work. Our wolves may have killed the weak and the young, but the Alpha's pups were sacred and protected by the best of our kind, until their fate was sealed. If they turned weak, the Alpha killed them, if they were strong, then the efforts of the other wolves were not made in vane."

"But that isn't what you wanted to know, is it?" Naruto questioned, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"No," Hashirama agreed, "what we wanted to know is who is this Kakuzu and how dangerous is he?"

"Kakuzu..." Hidan whispered as both he and Naruto pictured a man that they had once respected enough to claim as their oldest brother. "He is a wolf bent on destroying both Naruto and myself. He's dangerous, stronger, powerful. He is a wolf that feels no pain, carries no heart, lives to destroy. He travels with a pack of ten. Each of those ten are but mindless pets that fear him and because of that fear, will do anything he says. Though their numbers are small, they make up for it in the gifts they have, the power they share and give to Kakuzu... In simple words, Kakuzu is the wolf that must die in fear of the world dying instead."

"Why is he after you?" Fugaku asked, unsure of how to take a wolf like that. The wolf they were describing seemed to be a myth of a demon of some sort. Could the wolf truly be so powerful that both Naruto and Hidan were on the defense and cautiously waiting for an attack? Where they making this wolf out to be more dangerous then he actually was?

"Because we killed his female and unborn child." Naruto answered softly.

"What!" all of the wolves said in shock, Hidan and Naruto meeting each of their gaze.

"Why would you kill anyone's mate? That-"

"She did not wish to be his." Hidan cut Madara off. "She was claimed against her will by him. Taken from the one she loved and forced to bed the one she hated. She tried to take her own life many times but he made it impossible for her. He made her live knowing that her one love was dead by his hands. Her name was Yugao. She was a beautiful woman that many wanted. She walked with grace and confidence like no other would have been able to do. Her hair fell down to her waist in a way that made one want to touch it. When she spoke, her words were always taken to heart. When she looked at you, she was the predator deciding if you should live or not. She was the perfect female and in love with another wolf within our pack at the time. And Kakuzu was in love with her, wanted her, needed her. Where she was, he was there. He always believed she'd chose him but when she followed her heart, he lost it. In a fit of rage, he gathered us all around. Then he challenged the man and...the battle...it wasn't even called that. Kakuzu tore the other apart, broke him to pieces, kept him alive as he made Yugao watch, unable to do anything. When it was over, Kakuzu was covered in the wolf's blood. Before all, he met her gaze and claimed her. Said she was his now and no one else could have her. Before she could fight this, he ordered her to be chained to his room and from there she was his prisoner."

"No one saw her," Naruto said, taking up where Hidan left off. "For years, she was lost to us. Kakuzu was proud of himself. Hidan and I were his brothers, he'd tell us everything and every word he spoke...they were not words of a lover but of a crazed man. Going more insane with each year to pass."

"Why?" Fugaku asked softly when both Naruto and Hidan seemed to be lost on the same memory, the looks on their faces shocking. They reminded Fugaku of little boys, children reliving their nightmare. He wanted to comfort them, but knew if he tried, they'd attack. They weren't telling this story for pity or worthless words. They were speaking it because this Kakuzu was a threat to them all.

"Eventually," Naruto started again, not seeming to hear Fugaku's question, "Yugao became pregnant with his child. Kakuzu was in paradise, but she was in hell. When Kakuzu first told us this, we were happy for him because it was what he wanted. We were little more then young pups, but we knew that it would have been the last thing she wanted. Hidan and I decided, the night he told us, to sneak into her prison within his home. We found her, chained by her arms and legs to the floor. There was blood all over her, dried and crusted in places. Her eyes were lifeless. When she saw us, she told us to finish her. To end her life and send her to her real love to the one that should have fathered her pup. She was our Alpha's mate, we could not deny her."

"I was the one that took her life," Hidan smirked, almost as if his face had nothing else to do. "My claws pierced her heart and when she left us, she was smiling. Kakuzu came in moments later. He pushed both of us out of the way to try and revive her. Naruto and I ran from him and that was what saved our lives. He came for us but we stayed hidden until he was gone, taking our little pack with him. For years we hid from him and built our own Pack. We created our Pack in hopes of finishing him completely. Don't get me wrong, the perks of owning a powerful pack are good, but the sole purpose of it was to get rid of him. And he's been searching for us, waiting for unknown reasons to finish us off."

"He did back off for a while, hid away when we were both finally strong enough to take him. We're not sure where he went, but we know he's coming back." Naruto said, looking at everyone in the room. "Hidan left years ago when we found him the first time. It was his search for Kakuzu that lead him here."

"I see." Hashirama nodded. "Kakuzu will be a challenge then if a pack like yours had trouble with him...we have our work cut out for us."

"It's the reason Hidan tried to combine both packs." Naruto said with a lifted brow toward the flushed male. "Their power with the talents of this pack, it would have been amazing. But since we only gained fifteen wolves, that's not helping us much."

"Those fifteen did wonders to your pack though." Madara said. "Your pack is pulsing like it's own heartbeat."

"What of my sons?" Fugaku asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Itachi is to go into labor soon and Sasuke was claimed by the wolf that would have guarded them."

"It's not a problem at all." Hidan shrugged. "My guard will just change."

"Change? To who?"

"Within the fifteen wolves, I'm sure I can find one." Hidan remarked dryly. "I'd trust all of them with my mates and young."

"I'd leave out Sai," Naruto said thoughtfully, "and Kabuto."

"Why?" Madara asked.

"Sai has caught a glimpse of a female he wishes to pursue. The only reason he's here is because he's following his duty. Until Hidan gives him leeway, he'll remain here. Kabuto is our healer and when given the chance, he'll try to learn more. Your healer will most likely gain an apprentice for a short while. Once he's done finding out all he can from her, he'll lose interest." Naruto said. "But that still leaves thirteen."

"Samui." Hidan said before anyone could speak. "She will guard them."

"Atsui will be disappointed that he was once again looked over." Naruto sighed, already feeling a headache coming on.

"Atsui thinks with his dick, not his head. I don't give a damn. Samui is strong and has no interest in me or you as anything but an Alpha." Hidan said. "She shows no interest in anything but being a better dominant then all the men."

"That is true, but know that you just signed yourself Atsui to." Naruto chuckled as Hidan took a turn to sigh, "He is a good wolf, Hidan, just not always smart."

"Samui will just have to deal with him herself. He is her brother. If she ever wishes to lead her own pack, it's best she start dealing with annoying things."

"She may be one of our calmer wolves, quiet and watchful even, but she does have a limit. We need Atsui. Send him on patrol with the others. Three squads. Let him lead one and he'll feel important enough not to ruin Samui's watch."

"Hmmm, why not. We'll just place him with the quiet ones. It'll remind him constantly to tone it down. Now if we're done, I'd like to go back to my son." Hidan said. Gaining a nod from the other three Alphas, he and Naruto left the room, leaving them to discuss, most likely, what they had just said.

**{:}**

Not long after Hidan and Naruto returned, Hidan nodded for his mates to leave. With a few words toward Naruto, the man was gone with his little family. Sai was sent to tell Samui her new duties in a few days time and then to separate the pack into groups to keep guard.

When they were finally alone, Sasuke sat on his bed as Naruto walked toward him. When the dominant wolf was standing above him, Sasuke tilted his head up and met Naruto's beautiful blue eyes. Without a word, Naruto cupped his face gently, leaning down to kiss him softly. Their lips moved against each other in a innocent way. With his hands circling around Naruto's neck, Sasuke pulled the dominant on top of himself, once more cradling the other between his thighs. "Naruto?" he frowned when his mate only held him close to his body.

"I...this might not be a good idea."

"Why?"

"Danger-"

"I don't care." Sasuke said, wishing that his mate would make love to him as he would have done earlier. "It's always going to be dangerous. Somethings always going to pop up but I'm sure you can handle it all. I want to finish the bonding with you. Not just our souls, but our bodies as well." he finished on a blush.

"No interruptions." Naruto chuckled against his lips after a small hesitation.

"None." Sasuke flushed happily, opening his mouth slightly as Naruto's tongue ran against his bottom lip. With inexperience on his part, Sasuke followed Naruto's lead, letting his lover do as he wanted, following everything, Sasuke found himself wanting more. His body was on fire, desire was spread throughout his frame and growing. "Naruto." he breathed in need when Naruto's cock pressed against his own. "Oh, god, Naruto." He moaned, tossing his head back and enjoying the way Naruto latched onto his skin. "Please."

"As you wish little wolf." Naruto whispered against his skin as he slowly removed the clothing from Sasuke's body. When he was as bare as one could get, Sasuke flushed, his eyes shifting slightly away as Naruto took him all in. "You are beautiful." Naruto whispered softly, his hands gently running over Sasuke's spread thighs. "Very, very beautiful. Like a painting meant to be admired. An angel meant to mend my broken life. My beautiful little wolf. All mine."

With each word spoken, Naruto laid a kiss upon his body, and each kiss sent another jolt of pleasure through Sasuke. By the time Naruto kissed around his belly button, Sasuke was lost within his high. His body was tight, tense, and ready to explode. With gentle feather like touches and kisses, Naruto had brought him to a place Sasuke would only find with his mate.

Closing his eyes as Naruto kissed his inner thigh, Sasuke failed to notice the lack of clothing his mate had. Only when Naruto pulled away, much to Sasuke's annoyance, did the raven open his eyes and gasp at the beauty of what was now his. Naruto was beautiful. His body was perfect and none of the scars the male carried could hide that fact. But the only way a wolf could get scared was through silver. How had he never noticed the scars? He had seen Naruto partially naked...

"Made by my enemies." Naruto said when Sasuke focused on the left side of his chest. "Silver claws they wear as gloves."

"Oh." was all Sasuke could say as he took them all in. They looked painful, seeming to have gone almost to the bone, some even looking as if they were digging through his heart.

"If they repulse you, we can-"

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "they're just another part of you."

"Little wolf-"

"Come back to me." Sasuke pleaded, relaxing completely on the bed in a way he hoped enticed Naruto to join him. With the way his mate was looking at him, Sasuke knew he was doing pretty good. Running his eyes over the rest of Naruto's body, Sasuke gasped slightly at the size of his mate. It would hurt, but he heard that bigger they were, the better they are. He also knew that no matter what size his mate was, Sasuke knew he would have enjoyed it anyway. Maybe he could brag to Itachi about his mate's size.

He wanted to do something daring, like leaning up to kiss Naruto's cock, but he felt too embarrassed to even try.

"Little wolf, if you continue to look at me like this, I'll cum before I enter you." Naruto chuckled, climbing back onto the bed above Sasuke. "What fun would that be for either of us?"

"I'm sorry-your mark." Sasuke gasped again, catching his mate by surprise as he turned them over. Sitting on Naruto's thighs, Sasuke ran his hand over the swirl on his mate's stomach. It was big, covering a good portion of Naruto's stomach. It was slightly darker then Naruto's tan, and it was perfect. This mark was made by them. Made for them to claim each other. Shifting slightly, Sasuke looked at the one on his shoulder and frowned at the difference. "It's little."

"Sasuke," Naruto said softly, his body tense as he chuckled slightly. "The dominant's mark will always be bigger upon their own body. It is their power that is expanding as they claim their mate. It is the way of things."

"Oh." Sasuke frowned, still looking at his own, sitting comfortably on his mate as he tried to rid himself of the disappointment of his little mark.

"Little wolf, though I have no problem with us like this, I fear my body will betray me." Naruto panted and groaned, pressing up against Sasuke to show what he meant.

"Oh." Sasuke gasped, eyes closing slightly as Naruto's cock pressed against him firmly. Pushing down, Sasuke moaned again. "Naruto, show me that you will always be mine."

Faster then Sasuke could blink, Naruto had him on his back, leaning over him as he kissed him. "Yours until you no longer want me." the blonde promised.

"I'll never stop then." Sasuke vowed as he wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck, bringing the wolf down for a deeper kiss. "Please?"

"My little wolf." Naruto whispered softly as he complied to Sasuke's wishes. "Only mine."

**{:}**

A few hours later, Sasuke woke to find himself still within his mate's arms. Naruto holding him as if he was afraid to let go. With a smile forming on his lips, Sasuke lifted his head enough to see his lover sleeping. Even in sleep, Naruto still looked like a dominant ready to attack. His face and body unchanging. There was nothing soft about Naruto's body. Everything was hard and firm, and Sasuke would have it no other way. His mate was alpha born that followed another, and Naruto was his. His to hold, to love, to marry, to bare children with. His forever. Soon everyone would know that Naruto would never belong to anyone else. Then a new thought hit him.

What if he, even now, carried Naruto's pup? Please, he begged whoever was listening, please let it be true.

Grinning like a kid on Christmas, Sasuke cuddled closer to Naruto and fell back asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke woke to the sunlight streaming down on his face and Naruto's arm around his waist. Lifting his head, he looked over his shoulder and found his mate still fast asleep. Not wishing to wake him up, Sasuke gingerly sat up and stretched, flinching slightly at the dull ache in his backside. Naruto had been gentle with him, though Sasuke had tried many times to force him to be, well, less gentle, but Naruto had denied him. For that Sasuke was now grateful.  
Trying to remember why he had to get out of bed, instead of staying and hopefully continuing on where they left off, Sasuke looked toward his calendar and realized he had school. With that thought in mind, he was even more determined to get up.

"What are you doing?" Naruto questioned, making Sasuke jump and stumble before he could get into the bathroom.

"Naruto!" he gasped, turning to find his mate's eyes still closed, and body as relaxed as he knew Naruto would allow himself to be. He hoped that in time, Naruto would fully understand the meaning of relaxing, instead of this hollow impersonation. "You startled me."

"So I can tell, now tell me why you are sneaking away from our bed." Naruto demanded, his eyes snapping open and starring into Sasuke's own.

"I wasn't sneaking." Sasuke defended himself, unsure of what to make of Naruto's reaction. Though the thought of Naruto claiming his bed as theirs, well that was exciting.

"When one tries to escape the other without being detected, I believe that is sneaking."

"No, I didn't wish to wake you." Sasuke argued. "Naruto what-"  
"Why?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you wish to wake me?"

"I thought you could use some sleep."

"Have you tired of me already?" Naruto asked. If not for the way he asked, or his unchanging expression, Sasuke would have thought he hurt Naruto. Instead his mate looked as emotionless as when he met him.

"NO! Naruto I don't understand-"

"Then why are you leaving me." came the next order like question.

"I'm not, I'm getting ready for school." Sasuke said, unsure of what to do. He was still naked, but that wasn't his pressing matter. Naruto was, and fixing whatever might possibly break between them.

"You wish to stay in school? Even after mating me?" Naruto asked, sitting up and showing Sasuke the body of anyone's dreams. It took Sasuke all of his self control to keep from drooling or mouth-raping his mate.

"Yes." Sasuke said.

"Do you not believe I can provide for you?"

"I know you can." Sasuke said, giving into the desire to climb back into bed. Moving to straddle his mate, as Naruto laid back down, he ran his hands up and down Naruto's chest. "But...Naruto I always had a dream. I don't mind giving it up, but I don't want to give it up if I don't have to."

"Tell me this dream." Naruto ordered, his hands holding onto Sasuke's waist as he waited. Beneath his buttocks, Sasuke could feel the hardness of his lover and he knew that Naruto wasn't really thinking about sex, though his body was, since he wanted answers more then the need for release. Sasuke wished he had that kind of control, because right now, his body was wanting to repeat all he did the night before and his mind was saying 'now, now, now'.

"Dream? Oh, uh, my dream is to one day own a business, not a big one right away, but I want to build to it. I want to create the future of our homes. I want to build what hasn't been thought of, and touch what no one else can. I want to be one of the first submissives wolves that is treated like a dominant."

"But that isn't your role." Naruto frowned. "If it was, you would have been born a dominant, not a submissive."

"I know." Sasuke answered. "But I still want...If you'll allow me, I want to make a difference. I don't just wish to stay back and do as told. I don't want to be stuck at home, baring young and caring for them. I want more from life then that."

"And if I refuse to let you do all this? Would you hate me? Would it be so bad to raise our young and nothing more?"

"Then I'll do as you wish. I'll give up everything to keep you and build a family with you. I'll love our young and treasure everything I've gained." Sasuke answered honestly. He wanted both lives, but with dominants, one life would have to be given up. "And I could never hate you. I could never hate any choice you made for us."

"I see the honesty in your words. How is that? Your friend, this Neji, he is bitter over the new turn in his life. He does not wish a child yet, and would change things if he could."

"I'm not Neji." Sasuke stated angrily. "I'm Sasuke, your mate. Not him. I will never be bitter over the new steps in my life. I will never hate a child of mine and yours. I will never wish for something other then what I have."

"You wish to be a dominant."

"If that were true then I would end my life." At Naruto's raised brow, Sasuke went on, "I'd rather die then be a dominant for if I was a dominant, I wouldn't have you."

"And what of this business you wish to own? This little one that will grow big?" Naruto asked, gently grasping Sasuke's hands and bringing them to his lips. "Tell me little wolf. What of it?"

"Dreams are dreams, I live in reality. I live where my heart is and where you are. I would give up my dreams a thousand times if it meant you will always stay mine. Do I want to, if I can help it, no. But I don't care about my dream if you aren't there in the end." Sasuke said, leaning down to kiss Naruto, cupping his mate's jaw with his hands.

"I have never had a dream." Naruto whispered against his lips, his eyes shut as if he were resting. "Not a one. I only had a goal: to survive. I have done that. I have survived hell and back and still here I am. Tell me, little wolf, if I asked, would you share your dreams with me?"

"You...Naruto..." Sasuke gasped, tears building in his eyes as he tried to speak. "You wish..."

"This dream of yours, I wish to claim it as mine as well." Naruto went on, opening his startling blue eyes. "Will you allow it?"

"Yes." Sasuke whispered, smiling through his tears. Never in a millions years would he have thought that Naruto, a dominant that ranked as high as Hidan, or even higher, would allow him to continue on with his education. Even Hidan had told all of his mates that they would end school as soon as the pups came. None of the three fighting it, just as Sasuke thought he would do. But Naruto...his mate was truly one of a kind.

"Of course I will not allow you to do anything that might hurt you. And if dominants are what you wish to employ and order about, I shall stand behind you and make them do your bidding, but never are you to touch them or be alone with them."

"Not a chance." Sasuke grinned, kissing Naruto again and again. "You're going to be with me every step of the way. You can even start school-"

"No." Naruto said with a frown in place, looking as if the thought of school compared to a disease. "I'll allow you to go to school, but I will not sit in a class and listen to another dominant tell me what to do or how to do it. I'd kill the first teacher that told me to take my seat or marked one of my, what are they, ah yes, assignments wrong. For in my eyes, I am never wrong and any that disagree are a threat to me. You laugh now, but you know I speak true." Naruto chuckled.

"I know." Sasuke continued to laugh, sitting up once more and debating if school was at all important that day. Maybe he could skip one day-  
"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Naruto asked, grasping him about the waist again and placing him on the ground. "Let's shower, then I will take you myself."

"I love you." Sasuke said, watching Naruto stand up and head for the bathroom, his bare body on display.

"And you, Sasuke, are my heart," Naruto said, looking over his shoulder. "Now let's get ready or you'll never get this dream and instead become tied to my bed for all time, baring me young, one right after the other."

"Sexy." Sasuke smirked, walking passed Naruto. And to the shock of his dominant mate, as he passed, Sasuke dared to smack Naruto's bare ass, causing his mate to jump. "Coming?"

"You are not like other submissives." Naruto said before a grin overtook his face, "I find I like it."

**{:}**

Sasuke couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. Everyone could smell Naruto on him, could smell the bond. Though none could see the marking on his shoulder, all knew he had one somewhere. Outside the school, Naruto kept watch, always standing on the side that Sasuke had his classroom. His eyes roaming the ground for danger or meeting Sasuke's own through the window.

"So he's allowed you to come to school?" Shikamaru asked as they waited for the bell to ring, signaling lunch time. Sasuke was on the edge of his seat. He wanted to run to Naruto and he knew his mate would be waiting for him. "I figured he'd be one of the first to take his mate away from school and yet here you are."

"Yeah." Sasuke nodded, looking out the window and finding his mate laying on a bench and watching the sky. Again, Naruto didn't looked relax, he looked what he was and everyone knew it. "I have the best mate alive." Sasuke said to Shikamaru, pulling his gaze from the blonde outside.

"Why is that? Cause I could claim the very same thing." Shikamaru chuckled. "So could everyone who has one."

"But can all claim that their mate is allowing them to finish school and continue on with their dream?" Sasuke asked smugly.

"He's-"

"Your mate is letting you go to college? What if you're pregnant?" another submissive asked, the whole class turning to look at Sasuke in shock.

"He said he'd be beside me in whatever I wish to do. And he said he'd help me get whatever dream I wish. Even with a pup or two, or more, he says that I can live life like a dominant, if it's what I want, so long as he is still my mate and protector." Sasuke answered.

"Are you serious?" Shikamaru gaped. "Is he also going to be the one staying at home, taking care of your pups?"

"He's a dominant, not a stay at home mom. Of course he isn't going to take care of our future pups." Sasuke said in disbelief. The thought of Naruto even doing such a thing was ridiculous. "I'll take care of our pups and he'll take care of us. It's his right to do so."

"But how does that work?" another submissive wolf asked in confusion. "Does that mean he owns the business?"

"We will both own the business, but he is leaving all the choices up to me." Sasuke clarified. "I get to be in charge and only when we deal with other dominants would he step forward. Otherwise I get to run the whole thing. He'll do it all as I want done."

"Are you serious?" Shikamaru said, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open, "Sasuke, if that's all true, then you'll be making history... but not many dominants, or even one, will listen to a submissive."

"I know, and Naruto knows that too. Which is when he said he'd step in an make the dominants listen to me." Sasuke smirked.

"How is it that your mate is allowing you to do this while the rest of the dominants aren't even letting their mates finish high school or go beyond it? Even Hidan has already taken Itachi, Deidara, and Haku out of school." their teacher, Kurenai sensei asked in awe. The only submissives she knew that even worked beyond high school were teachers for the submissive schools. And even then their mates always worked as teachers for the dominants side. Or most of the submissive teachers were widowed. It was hard for any submissive to work at all and to know that Sasuke was getting to dream beyond the normal life of a submissive was mind boggling.

"Yeah, Gaara said he's going to take Neji out of school once he finishes high school, Gaara that is. Neji won't even get the chance since he is a year younger then Gaara. Kiba has even said that as soon as he knows I'm carrying, I'm going to be pulled out too." Shikamaru said with slight annoyance. "So how did you get the 'go on to college' free card?"

"I got a mate who is secure with his place and who wishes to see me happy." Sasuke answered as he turned his gaze out the window and found Naruto still on the bench, looking like he was napping now. "There is no other like him, nor do I want to ever meet one if there is. Because my Naruto will always be the best of all dominants."

"Hell, do you think he wants another mate?" yet another submissive joked, causing the class to laugh, but Sasuke didn't find it at all funny.

With a glare in place, he lifted his chin and said with a curl in his lips, "If any of you think to take him from me, know that you will end up dead before you can try."

Before any of the submissives could answer back, the bell rang. Without waiting to be excused, Sasuke gathered his things up and stalked out of the room. Not even bothering to go to his locker, he carried his book toward the courtyard Naruto was in. Just the thought of another wolf trying to take Naruto from him made his fangs lengthen and his claws sharpen. No one but him would have Naruto. What kind of submissive was he? Weren't submissives supposed to be cowards told to do what the dominant wants? Weren't they supposed to be kinder and less forceful? Weren't they supposed to just grow up and have young? "Well I guess not all of us read the rules when we were born." Sasuke whispered softly to himself as he pushed open the glass door leading outside.

Looking around, he found Naruto sitting on the bench, speaking to a wolf. A wolf that had already tried once before to take his mate. With a glare in place, Sasuke headed toward the two. Even Naruto's eyes, that quickly turned to him and refused to leave him when he moved, didn't stop the anger that was growing within him.

When he finally reached his mate, Sasuke slid into Naruto's lap, kissing his wolf like his life depended on it. After what he deemed enough time, he pulled back and glared at Ino. "Leave." he ordered, moving as close as he could to his mate. Naruto had yet to say anything, only watching and waiting.

"Hmph." Ino curled her lips in distaste. "Sasuke, can't you show more respect to yourself, acting like a wolf in heat. Pathetic."

"Says the whore that is practically naked and smelling of need near a mated dominant." Sasuke countered as he took in Ino's heels and even shorter school skirt. The shirt barely being held in place by one button.

"I'm giving Naruto options." Ino purred, smiling seductively at his mate. How dare the she-bitch!

"He doesn't need options." Sasuke snarled, shocked that Naruto was letting him fight his own battle, but he supposed this was Naruto's way of letting him take charge and prove himself to everyone that he wasn't a child in need of saving. "Now fuck off."

"See Naruto," Ino ignored him. "Do you truly wish to tie yourself to a wolf with no manners? We can do as Hidan has done. Claim me and then I can fill in for all the disappointments you are having with Sasuke." she bit out, her eyes changing to her wolf's. "I will show you what you'll be missing when you bed him. I'll be your perfect submissive and do as you tell me the first time you tell me." she went on, moving her body in a way that showed more then hid behind her clothes. Sasuke bet if he checked, the stupid bitch would be soaking beneath the skirt she wore.

"Is that so?" came Naruto's rumbled reply. His voice sending shivers down both of their spines. With a gasp, Sasuke turned wide hurt eyes toward his mate. He felt like his heart was breaking with Naruto even considering Ino's words. "Everything I say?"

"Of course, your wish will always be my command. I will be the wolf you desire." Ino went on licking her lips before biting her bottom one. Sasuke couldn't say anything to that. To know that his mate wanted...this! Was everything Naruto said before just words? Did Naruto even love him? Did he lie?

"Female," Naruto said, placing Sasuke on the bench beside him, causing Sasuke's heart to break even more. He could already feel the tears building but he refused to let them fall. He would not give the she-bitch the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Could one unmate the man they loved? "you would never be the wolf I wish." at Naruto's words, Sasuke's head snapped up and toward his mate. "I have chosen my mate and no other will do. I have let your words carry on for my mate wishes to be seen as a dominant, but know that with each word spoken, my anger grows. I am sorry Sasuke, but today, I'll step in for you." Naruto snarled, his clawed hands grasping Ino around the neck and lifting her up. "Another day my mate will tear you to pieces," he went on as Ino struggled in his grasp, "But today, you will get a pass from me on his behalf."

"Alpha?" at the sound of Sai's voice, Sasuke turned to find the other kneeling before them, his neck presented for Naruto to see.

"Take this bitch and claim her. If she is not yours before the moon rises, my mate will decide her fate." Naruto snapped, tossing the female into Sai without waiting for the male to stand.

"As you wish." Sai bowed, carrying Ino away from them.

"If the rest of you have any words then speak now before your fates are sealed." when no one spoke, each falling to one knee instead and bowing their heads, revealing their necks, Naruto went on, "Listen as I speak and hear each word clearly. No other wolf would ever take or share the place my mate claims. My mate is my voice. His words are my law. His actions my own. You will treat him and respect him as if he were I. Do I make myself clear." He demanded.

"As you order so it shall be." the wolves declared, from the dominants to the submissives, and even the teachers of other generations.

"Come along little wolf," Naruto said, holding out his hand. Not waiting to be told twice, Sasuke let Naruto lead him away. Five minutes later, both were in Naruto's car and driving away.

"Naruto?"

"Hm?" Naruto answered, driving beyond the speed limit as they headed to whatever destination Naruto had in mind. Not that it mattered because no one would pull over an alpha of any pack, nor a wolf as powerful, even more so, then an alpha.

"Why?"

"I told you as we showered," Naruto answered, a smile appearing on his face, making him seem younger, seem more his age instead, and catching Sasuke's breath. "Your dreams will be my own."

"But-"

"And I want the same for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not have dreams, I've told you this. I only had a goal."  
"To survive, but-"

"My little wolf," Naruto chuckled, reaching over to grab Sasuke's hand to bring to his lips. "I have another one as well. My goal now is to make sure you succeed in all that you wish. To do so means I must make the first steps. And I made them today. I may not be Alpha of the pack but I hold as much power as Hidan or any alpha of any pack. My actions are the start of your future."

"Naruto..." Sasuke gasped feeling emotional once more. God he felt like a crying idiot.

"From now on, you'll be seen as a wolf of my standing. Any who question or fight this, deal with me." Naruto finished. "I will not only make you a dominant submissive within your work place. You will be my dominant submissive in all aspects of your life. On that I swear my life to."

"Thank you." Sasuke said, the only two words he could speak.

**{:}**

"What you did was stupid." Hidan said, when Naruto finally joined them in the safe room located within the Uchiha Mansion. All three of Hidan's mates were at his own home within the woods, the fifteen new wolves guarding them with Samui in charge. "It was beyond stupid. Naruto of all the things you've could have done, you do this."

Instead of answering, Naruto continued to meet his gaze, waiting in silence for what was to come of this. With a release of air, Hidan turned his gaze away from his brother and looked at the other wolves watching and waiting. Gaara, Kiba, Shino, Omoi, and Zabuza. Though Zabuza chose to be parted from any pack, preferring to live with only his mate and young, he was still considered Hidan's. Omoi was there because he was right under Gaara and Kiba, side by side with Shino, for power. Suigetsu should have been there, but he hated that fucking wolf. The five and Naruto, were the strongest dominants in his pack and Hidan needed to give them a few orders before he locked himself within his home with his mates. He needed things to be understood clearly so that all would be well when he opened his door again, bringing in two new lives to the world. "Why would you claim him as your equal! He's a submissive!"

"I will not claim a mate weaker then me."

"A submissive is already weaker then you!" Hidan shouted, standing inches from Naruto. Both were strong, both weren't afraid to hurt each other, and both would destroy the damn room if they went at it. "He was born a submissive for a reason! What you did was stupid! You gave him rights over any wolf weaker then yourself! Over everybody! You gave him permission to rule as you do! If we were in battle, he would be one of the first to fight!"

"No, we set rules." Naruto countered. "Others will respect him as they do me, but he knows in the end his safety is my concern."

"If I were to give him an order-"

"He'll follow it because I claim you as my Alpha." Naruto said. "I gave him the freedom to live the life he wanted. We were both denied dreams, Hidan. I could not deny him his. He is my mate, soon to be mother of any pups we have. I want only the best for him."

"The best would have been to keep him in his place." Zabuza said. "If we were all bringing on our submissives to rule beside us, things would be in chaos. They do not have the backbone to rule. To lead. They don't have the instinct to protect. They may speak as if they do, act like they want to, pretend that they could, but they can't. In the end, they are still wolves that will follow any wolf stronger then themselves."

"Not only that, but there's the chance their newfound freedom will change them." Gaara said, a look appearing and fading quickly within his eyes.

"I stand by what I did." Naruto said evenly. "My mate will live the life he's dreamed. He would have given it up for me, but I could not allow him to do so."

"None of us want to take a submissive dreams away, but we do it because it'll protect them." Gaara said. "We know that life isn't going to accept them so easily. We know that with each disappointment, it'll hurt them more. This freedom you gave to Sasuke, it'll hurt him. Even with you backing him, he'll still face rejection and pain. They aren't built like us. They aren't built to move on when something falls apart. Do you think I enjoy cutting Neji down? That I enjoy telling him no? It kills me to see the pain in his eyes, but I know that if I let him continue on, it'll hurt him even more when he sees what the world is truly like. I love Neji, but I am protecting him by keeping him from doing something that will hurt him later."

"I know and thought of this all." Naruto answered. "I know that there will be many times that Sasuke's going to see the world as it really is and not as we only show the submissives. I know that he'll be shocked, and disgusted even, but I know that with me beside him, he'll be able to handle it. I'll take the blunt of the attacks, but he'll still-"

"Neji wishes the same freedom." Gaara cut in. "Since he heard your speech at lunch, things have gotten worse."

"Explain." Hidan ordered.

"Before this day..." Gaara sighed, "Neji...he's trying to kill my pup."

"What!" Hidan shouted in shock as the others gaped at him with wide disbelieving eyes.

"I was force to go to the extreme. I have become a wolf I didn't wish to. I have taken to watching him with everything. Any way he can, he'll try to harm my pup or himself and I must stop him." Gaara said, looking lost on what else to do. "I wasn't going to bring him, but he acted up and threatened to do harm to himself. I can't chance leaving him on his own, and I know with the wolves here watching him, he can't do much harm while I'm in here. I also hope that Sasuke knocks some sense into him about carrying my young. That Sasuke will tell him about his own pup-"

"We don't know if Sasuke is carrying yet." Naruto answered.  
"But it is likely he is." Gaara answered, "If Sasuke tells him the positives of being a mated submissive that carries a young-"

"Sasuke." Naruto cut him off as his eyes went wolf. One second he was there and the next he was flying out of the room.

**{:}**

Sasuke stood in front of his bedroom mirror, shirt lifted to show his belly, and hands flat as they drifted over his exposed skin. Turning his body to the right, he hummed before turning left and doing the same thing. With a small smile appearing on his face, he arched his body and imagined a pup was already within, growing from both his and Naruto's love. He imagined that they had a pup waiting for his attention and another following Naruto around, wishing to be like his father. He imagined a houseful of pups looking like a mix of both of them, some exact images of their father, some of him, but all as beautiful as the love he shared with his mate. How many pups would they have? How many did Naruto want? Sasuke wanted four. Three boys and one girl. All of their young would be dominants like their father. Sasuke knew without a doubt that that was true. He couldn't say why he believed this, since only certain packs could claim to always bare dominants, but he knew that with each pup that would be born of their union, all would be as dominant as their Father. All would grow up to lead a pack of their own-

"Sasuke?" at the sound of Neji's voice, Sasuke jumped and turned, letting his shirt fall back into place. He must have been daydreaming harder then he thought.

"Neji?" Sasuke frowned trying to figure out why Neji was at his home in the first place.

"You didn't come back to school when you left." Neji said, speaking of what had happened earlier during lunchtime.

"Naruto and I didn't want to go back." Sasuke answered honestly. Instead Naruto had taken him to the small lake at the edge of town and both had decided to forget about the world and everything in it as they learned and explored each other more. Just thinking of it brought a slight flush to his face. "Did you need something?" he asked to distract himself.

"Gaara was called over to meet with Hidan." Neji explained walking in, and looking around as if he was seeing things for the first time. Which wasn't possible since Neji had been in his room more then once. "I asked to come along and talk to you."

"Oh, well sit down." Sasuke said gesturing to the bed as he moved to sit down. Pulling a pillow into his lap, he waited for Neji to speak. "Neji? Is everything okay?"

With a sigh, Neji met his gaze, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you get Naruto to do that for you? Gaara won't allow me to walk to the store without asking him now. I had to practically beg to come with him today. He told me no so many times I was about ready to give up. I was in tears to come with him. He asked me why I wanted to come so badly, and I told him a somewhat lie. I told him I wanted to come talk to you about pups and us having them close together. I told him other stuff, and he let me come."

"Neji he would have known you lied."

"But it wasn't a complete lie!" Neji stated eagerly, tears leaking from his eyes, the oddest expression on his face. "I did want to talk to you about it but I need to know first. So please tell me how? Tell me how you get to go on beyond having pups."

Sasuke could only stare in stunned silence as Neji clutched onto his arm, crying as he demanded the answer Sasuke had no idea how to give. His friend was a mess. Long gone was the in control and composed teenager. In his place was a wolf that looked like he was on the verge of a mental melt down. His face was pale and drawn. Dark circles underlined his eyes that were on the verge of shifting.

"Please tell me how I can live your life too! Tell me how I can go on and, and, and live life like you are! Please, if you were my friend, you'd tell me."

"I, I don't know." Sasuke answered, trying to get Neji off of him. "He chose to do it. I didn't do anything." Instead of being free, Neji only held on tighter, his nails growing and turning into claws, slightly piercing his skin. "Neji you're hurting me." he said softly, trying to find Neji within the wolf that was trying to get free. What was happening? This wasn't Neji. This was nothing like Neji. Was he losing his mind to his wolf?

"I want to know. Please let me know." Neji sobbed, his eyes turning a golden brown.

"I can't tell you because I don't know." Sasuke said, his hands holding firmly onto Neji's own. He was trying as hard as he could to keep himself and his wolf from calling out to his mate unconsciously. He didn't want Neji to be hurt and he knew that if Naruto were to try and save him, Neji and Gaara would be on the receiving end of Naruto's attack. "Please, Neji calm down. If you don't, Naruto will know. He'll hurt Gaara because Gaara will try to protect you."

"Let him." Neji growled, sounding more like his wolf then himself. "Let him hurt Gaara, maybe I'll be free like you then. Maybe I'll be able to live my future too!"

"You don't mean that, Neji." Sasuke said, shocked by the words coming out of Neji's mouth. "You love Gaara, you chose him. You claimed each other under the full moon before marking each other a week lat-"

"It was romantic, to claim one another under the full moon. I wanted it to be like a legend, like a fairy tale. Claimed like the first wolf was said to be claimed by her mate. To have all the good luck that came with the full moon, but it doesn't work. There is no good luck. There is no future. Just chains. I don't want to be chained. I want to be free like you."

"Ne-"

"He won't let me be free, though. He keeps telling me no. He keeps taking away every piece of freedom I have. I can't do anything without his say so. He's telling me that he's changed his mind. I'm not even going to finish this year out. I'm not even going to finish this month out. I can't live like this anymore." Neji sobbed, sounding like a a mix between a howl and a growl. "I can't live like a pet waiting to be told what to do. What to eat. What to wear. Who to speak with. The list goes on and on. I live on his choices, not my own. I sleep when he wants me to and wake when he says. My father says it's Gaara's right to dictate my life...it's not. It's not his right at all. He's not the wolf I mated. Not the one that I thought I loved. He's another wolf. He's a master wishing to control me."

"Neji, Gaara-"

"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" Neji shouted, each word ending on a snarl. "I hate him so much! I don't want him! I don't want this thing in me! I want to be free! I should have been a dominant!" as he continued on, Neji began to shift, his body changing slightly, the fur appearing slowly. His teeth lengthening and tearing at his human shaped lips. Even his claws were that of his wolf, puncturing completely through Sasuke's arm. Even if he wanted to save Neji, Sasuke couldn't stop the scream of pain that escaped his lips, nor could he stop himself from pulling on his wolf to save him. "I should be free!"

"Neji!"

"If he dies, and it dies, I'll be free! Free like you!" Neji snarled just before he lost his human lips. Lost himself to his wolf. Baring his teeth, Neji stood on all fours, his chocolate colored fur raised as he poised himself for an attack. But the attack that Sasuke thought was directed at him was actually directed at himself. Instead of going for him, like Sasuke thought he would when Neji pushed him to the floor, Neji began biting at himself. His teeth digging into his own shoulder as he scratched painfully at his belly with his hind legs.

"Neji! STOP!" Sasuke shouted, standing up and running toward him. Without thinking he grabbed Neji's muzzle with his hands and twisted their bodies until Neji landed on his side. Using the new angle to his advantage, Sasuke locked his legs around Neji's waist and held the wolf's feet down as best as he could. With one hand on Neji's front legs and the other holding Neji's muzzle down, Sasuke screamed for Naruto to come. He knew the instant Naruto heard his call.

He saw through Naruto's eyes as the walls and stairs passed by in a blur, and then he saw himself holding Neji down. Shaking his head, Sasuke turned his head as best as he could toward the door.

The next thing he knew, Naruto was pulling him off of Neji and Gaara was taking his place, holding Neji down with little difficulty.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, checking him over as he kept his gaze on the struggling wolf. "Sasuke, answer me."

"I'm fine." Sasuke said, knowing that Naruto already knew that and that his mate most likely asked to hear the words that would confirm it. "Neji-"

"I know." Naruto said, stepping in front of him. Sasuke didn't mind though. Seeing Neji like that scared him. To know that any wolf would try and kill their own child, let alone Neji doing it. He held onto the back of Naruto's shirt, squeezing his eyes tightly as he molded himself against his mate and tried to force the noises Neji was making away.

When the room went silent, Sasuke held his breath and waited.

"What did he say?" Gaara asked.

"He wasn't making sense." Sasuke answered, knowing that Gaara was speaking to him. "I don't understand...He was saying all these awful things, but it wasn't him...it wasn't Neji." When Naruto turned and wrapped his arms around him, Sasuke let the terror for his friend free. Clutching onto his mate like his life depended on it, he sobbed into Naruto's chest.  
"This is the freedom you hand your mate." Hidan said, his gaze meeting Naruto's. "This is what your future holds."

**{:}**

"Will he be okay?" Sasuke asked hours later once the house was empty and he laid in bed with Naruto. His parents were off speaking to all the generation alpha's but Hidan, since Hidan had holed himself up with his mates for the next two weeks, speaking about what had occurred with Neji. Zabuza had stepped in as Hidan's replacement, since Naruto refused to leave his side, for which Sasuke was grateful. He didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to think about Neji.

He knew Gaara had taken Neji to their home and that Tsunade had to sedate him for the time being. He also knew that Tsuande, along with Kabuto, were both going over what had happened and watched Neji closely.

And though Gaara hated other dominants touching his mate, he allowed it in hope of Neji being cured.  
"I don't know." Naruto answered honestly, sighing as he pulled Sasuke closer to him, almost draping him over his body completely.

"What did Hidan mean with his words?" Sasuke asked. Hidan's last words, though somewhat muffled by his own sobbing at the time, had been running through his head and he needed an answer.

"Neji was given a chance to be something other then what he was born to be. That he was told and given the freedom to be more..."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned, lifting his head.

"He was treated like a dominant, Sasuke. Not the freedom I gave you, but enough to make his wolf crave more." Naruto answered, shifting enough to place Sasuke on the bed to allow himself to sit up. With his head in his hands he went on, "When a wolf craves more then his human counterpart, things happen. That is why we all have our places..."

"Naruto, but-"

"I gave you so much freedom Sasuke, with those few sentences I spoke..."

"Are you saying that could happen to me? That I'll want to...No! I won't kill my child! I won't!" Sasuke shouted, angry at Naruto for even thinking such a thing.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, standing up and pacing to the window, uncaring of his nudity or the moonlight shining on him. "this change, I've only ever seen it on a dominant. When we lose ourselves to our wolves...this is what happens. We lose our minds. Listen to me speaking," Naruto shook his head, "We all treat our wolf as if it's another being, speak of it as such but it is us. We are one and the same. There aren't two minds in our bodies, two souls. We are just one soul, one body. Just one. Perhaps it's because we need something to separate our animal half. To separate our mistakes..."

"I don't understand what you're saying." Sasuke said from the bed, pulling his knees close to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "There are two. Our animal self and our human self."

"But we are one in the end. We must keep the balance to keep us one." Naruto said, turning to look at him. "We are one being but if one half begins to take over, we become two. Neji lost the balance we all keep within us. He let his animal half overpower his human half. He was given freedom and then it was taken away."

"So if you were to take my freedom..."

"This could happen to you." Naruto answered, his face serious. "You would lose yourself to one half. I stand by my words, little wolf, but I do not wish to lose you like this."

"I don't want to lose myself like that either." Sasuke answered. "Take it all back. Take your words back and fix it! If you fix it, I won't be-"

"It is too late Sasuke." Naruto said, moving toward the bed and cupping his cheek. "If I knew the submissives could lose themselves...I would never have uttered those words. All I can do is stand by what I've done and hope all is for the best."

"What if I don't do what you said? What if-"

"Sasuke," Naruto cut him off again, kissing him softly. "The option is there, it'll always be there in the back of your mind." in his own mind, Naruto was thinking of Kakuzu. Kakuzu had fallen to his human side. Where the wolf wanted to attack everything and kill whoever harmed it, the human side was cruel. It planned and waited for it's chance to strike. In a way, falling to the human side was a lot more dangerous then falling to the animal. The animal protected himself, the human hurt everyone else.

**{:}**

"Alpha?" Zetsu white whispered, shaking like a leaf as he stood beside the terrifying alpha. Behind him, Zetsu Black knelled, shaking slightly as he stood so close to the man they all feared. Standing there because that was where Kakuzu liked him to be.

And behind Zetsu Black, the other eight wolves waited, each tensing every time that Kakuzu moved. There were more wolves once. Wolves that claimed to be part of Naruto's and Hidan's pack. All had sworn loyalty to Kakuzu in exchange for killing the two they followed before. Instead of accepting them, Kakuzu had told them the invitation had been revoked. Then before the wolves could say anything, Kakuzu had ordered their deaths. In moments, the twenty-nine wolves that had followed the one named Sora to their camp had been murdered. Kakuzu laughing the whole time in the background. They never stood a chance.

"A green forest." Kakuzu chuckled, taking in the scenery that made up Konoha. "This is where they chose to live..." seconds later, the grin disappeared and a scowl took it's place. "I find I hate this color. I hate it very much." Kakuzu snarled, his claws digging into his palms, blood dripping to the floor.

"We could always add red, Alpha." Sasori offered quietly, bowing his head as close to the ground as he could go when Kakuzu turned toward him.

"Yes, let's do that." Kakuzu said, grinning once more as he began walking into the town, his wolves quickly following him. "I do love that color."

**{:}**

Atsui frowned as a familiar sent hit his nose. It would have gone unnoticed had the wind not shifted and gone the other way. With a lift of his hands, he paused the others as he moved toward the area. With a sniff, he found the scent again, this time a little stronger. As he moved cautiously toward the area that seemed to be giving off the scent, the other wolves moved to circle the area. With a nod toward one of his pack members, Atsui moved the branch out of the way and gasped in shock. One of his wolf brothers of the old pack, laid dead within a puddle of his own blood. His head torn almost clean from his neck, his body stuck in the middle of shifting.

Before Atsui could voice a command, something jumped from the shadows taking him to the ground. Just as quickly as he fell, three other things jumped and took out his pack mates, each one dying fast, their voices stuck within their throats.

"Hello wolf." a man whispered as he moved behind the growling wolves. His body towering over all of them.

"He knows you're here." Atsui glared in anger as he gave up struggling to be free, the other wolves jaws keeping him tied to the ground. There were eleven in all, and Atsui made himself try to remember each of their scents, if he was to die today, he'd die knowing he warned his Alpha.

"Good." Kakuzu grinned, moving to straddle his chest and running a rough hand down his face. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." he finished as he snapped Atsui's neck.

**{:}**

"Hidan?" Haku frowned as Hidan jerked again. In the other room he heard Deidara and Itachi panting, their bodies finishing up the last stage of the change in order to prepare themselves for the birth. In his arms, resting within his little blue blanket, Sumaru slept on, unknowing of his Father's torment.

"Five." Hidan whispered as he looked through the the blinds, his fingers turning into claws as he dug into the wall. "Five wolves down."

"Hidan?"

"Haku go into the basement, fix up the spare bed. Get it ready for Itachi and Deidara."

"The basement?" Haku frowned as he followed Hidan with his eyes.

"Something bad is going to happen, love, and I need all of you somewhere safe. Naruto will keep them back as long as he can but one is bound to break through." Hidan answered.

"But Samui is guarding us-"

"Samui can't face them all." Hidan said, "Do as I say Haku."

With a nod, Haku moved toward the basement door. Flicking the light switch on, he hurried down to the stairs and placed Sumaru on a basket filled with washed towels. Just as he finished putting the last blanket and pillow on the bed, Hidan brought Deidara down before going back up and bringing Itachi. Both of them started pulling blankets around them instantly, each circling their bodies as much as they could as they made a nest like bed. When they had all the blankets and pillows they could get, both curled onto their side and started panting. When Hidan moved to walk out, leaving them here, Haku reached out his hand and stopped him. "Hidan?"

"I'll guard the door. Don't make a sound and if anything comes through...kill it." his mate said, looking as if it pained him to ask Haku to fight for his life. Without waiting for Haku to respond to his shocking order, Hidan pulled him close and kissed him hard. Seconds later, he moved quickly up the stairs and moments later, Haku heard the sound of the lock automatically being engaged.

"Be safe." he whispered as he moved to Sumaru, picking up his whimpering child. "Don't worry, puppy, Daddy will be back."

**{:}**

"Your orders?" Sai asked as he stood beside him, his eyes glued to the shadows. Behind him, many other dominants from Hidan's new pack, and those of other generation packs stood waiting.

"Samui will need aid." Naruto answered, never looking away from the distance, his eyes seeming to see what the others failed to noticed. "Take the remaining seven and circle the grounds beyond her."

"Yes Alpha." Sai nodded. With a quick flick of his hands, he called the other wolves, shifting as they ran toward Hidan's home. Each of them disappearing beyond the trees without a sound.

"What of us?" Zabuza asked, moving to his side.

"Take half of the dominants here to guard the safe house." Naruto said, tilting his head, his eyes unblinking as they moved slowly toward the left, almost as if he was tracking something.

"Done." Zabuza answered, as he nodded to a few of the wolves with them, calling them with him as he ran toward the rest of the dominants hiding and protecting the submissives.

"Sasuke is safe." Fugaku said, running quickly to his side with Mikoto beside him. "When he wakes, he'll be angry that you put him under." he went on speaking of the drug Naruto hid within his meal hours ago. "We have dominants within the safe house as well, six guarding each entrance from within, twelve guarding each from without."

"Zabuza went off with thirty more." Naruto answered, taking one step forward, his fangs growling longer as his eyes shifted. "Sai took eight to guard Hidan's home."

"That leaves twenty with you." Madara said looking around. Tobirama stood beside his brother, his body tense and waiting. Hashirama, already in wolf form, licked Mito's hand in reassurance. Izuna was off leading the wolves guarding the safe house. He saw a few of his own blood waiting and a few wolves within his pack that were his brothers and sisters. He saw wolves, children of his packs waiting to fight beside them. Looking around, it hit him hard that he may not even see some of them beyond this night. That many of them would never live to see their children, or have children of their own. How could eleven wolves cause this much chaos?

"It's enough." Naruto said, his voice sounding more wolf then human.

"Little brother," Someone called from the shadows. Just the sound of his voice froze Madara in place, making his heart skip a beat. For the first time in his life, Madara felt terror within his blood. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel as strong as he knew he was. "Give him to me and you can go free."

"Never." Naruto snarled, his body stuck between human and wolf, looking like a demon of another time.

"You will die because of him?"

"I'll die to stop you." Naruto answered back.

"Would they do the same?" the man chuckled, coming partially into the light, his face and upper body still hidden by the shadows of the night. "What of your weak wolves? Would they die too?"

"What are you-" Fugaku got out before he stopped and turned to the sounds of screams and cries of fear. "No..." Fugaku paled as the sounds of battles echoed after the screaming.

"Go!" Naruto told them, as he took off running toward the other man. "Save them!"

Without waiting to be told twice, all twenty took off to protect their families.

**{:}**

Sai kept his body silent and still, waiting for an attack from the distance. The fur on his body stood up in warning when the sound of a snapping twig appeared. With a soft growl, he warned the other he was waiting, that he wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

In return, a soft chuckle whispered over the wind, sending shivers down his spine.

Lowering his head, he sent out another warning growl, his fangs flashing within the moon light.

When a noise appeared behind him, Sai turned quickly, just barely catching himself from attacking Samui. Shifting quickly he stood before her. "You are to be guarding the house." he said fiercely, turning to face the distance again.

"I..." Samui gurgled out, coughing slightly.

Turning back to face her, Sai gasped in shock when he saw the blood falling from her lips. Why didn't he smell the blood? Catching her before she could fall to the ground, Sai held her close to his body. "Hidan?"

Lifting her hand weakly, Samui touched his face and brought his ear closer to her mouth. "He's...going to die." she said softly. Before Sai could run to his Alpha, Samui ran her silver clawed hand through his chest. "Just like my Master ordered." she laughed softly, pushing him to the ground, uncaring of his eyes glaring at her as they dulled slowly. "Soon, Master will love me and only me. No more will that bitch be in his heart." Samui went on, wiping the red dye off her mouth with the back of her other hand. "Did you honestly think I came to your pack on my own free will?"

"Is your brother a traitor?" Sai asked, trying to stay alive, his body going numb as his heart tried to keep beating for his mate. He couldn't leave Ino, not when he just found her, not when he had yet to know if she carried his child within her body.

"He's a fool that believed in the pack, that would have followed his alphas anywhere. It's best he's dead too, otherwise, I would have killed him myself." Samui grinned.

"How many more?" Sai demanded, trying to hold on to send the information to his alpha, but he was having trouble even piecing his thoughts together.

"Enough to break the pack from the inside out." Turning around, leaving Sai choking on his own blood, Samui looked toward the house covered by trees. "Eight more to go." she grinned menacingly, "And then Master is coming for you, Alpha."

**{:}**

"Kabuto, he seems to be doing fine." Tsuande said, wishing so badly to know what was going outside the safe house. Her main objective was keeping Neji from harming himself. The baby within him was weak, not even big enough to survive a c-section. And Neji wasn't in any condition to protect himself and child. "Gaara?"

"Our wolves are fighting them off, keeping them back." Gaara answered, his head tilted, eyes closed as he rested on the floor opposite the opened doorway, trying to get as far from Neji while keeping his mate in view. Tsuande knew he did this to keep himself from attacking Kabuto and herself, his wolf unable to take another dominant touching Neji. "They are trying to get into the safe house."

"The walls are too thick and our wolves aren't going to allow them entry." Tsuande nodded as she gave Neji another sedative. "The only way in is for someone to let them in. So even if they get passed our wolves they can't do much more then scratch up the walls."

"Then how did we get in?" Kabuto asked, running a calming hand through Neji's fur, his eyes running over the hospital tools near by.

"Someone is always in here." Tsuande answered, turning away as she typed on her computer. She wanted to join the battle outside, but being the only healer in the town, she would only be allowed to join the battle field once everything was safe and over. At least the submissives were safe within the safe house, all of them a floor beneath the ground. "The wolves take shifts."

"How do they do it?" Kabuto asked, moving to the sink, by the door to pour himself some water.

"They stand in front of the door from the inside. Not much of a key, but it worked so far." Tsuande answered, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Kabuto said as he moved behind her, looking at the screen. "Just curious."

"I ran a few more test-"

"Shame you won't finish them."

"Wha-ugh." Tsuande gasped, her hand trying to reach behind her to pull the needle out of her back. "Why?"

"Master asked it of me." Kabuto said sadly, moving back as she fell to her knees. "I didn't want to do it, but to deny Master means to deny your life."

"You..."

"I thank you for everything you taught me, and I'm sadden that I could not learn more, but Master's will must be done. We must destroy all he holds dear. The town, the wolves, Naruto, his mates, his young, himself."

"We trusted you." Tsunade cried, looking toward the door, seeing Gaara trying frantically to come in by slamming his shoulder over and over against the frame. His eyes going completely wolf, his body slowly following, and through it all, she didn't even hear a sound, the door doing as it was meant to.

"I don't even trust myself." Kabuto answered as he grabbed the scalple and moved toward Neji's sleeping form. With a tear falling down his face, he raised the blade to Neji's neck.

"Don't!" Tsuande screamed trying to shift but the silver in the blade keeping her from moving much.

"I wanted to save him, but it's not in Master's will." Kabuto answered, pushing the blade deeper through Neji's fur, not yet reaching skin. "We must remove every wolf. We must weaken my Alpha. My Master is done playing the game."

"You can save him. You can stop this." Tsuande tried to reason, falling to her side as she tried to crawl to Neji. On the other side of the door, she saw Gaara snarling and screaming Neji's name, his words falling on deaf ears. "Just fight them."

"I can't." Kabuto shook his head, looking right at her.

"Why?"

"You must obey your Father at all times." Kabuto answered, stunning her into silence. "I must kill my Mother's murderer."

**{:}**

Suigetsu leaned against the wall, his eyes taking in the dominants watching the entrance they guarded. Five other wolves guarding two hundred and ninety submissives from all four generations.

As the other five talked among themselves, he thought of the conversation he had a week ago. A favor for a favor, is what they told him. One little thing he had to do and that was all that would be required of him.

Should he do as Samui told him, betray his pack... she told him his reward would be grand. That he'd finally get the one thing he desired above all else. And what he wanted more then anything was Haku.

His beautiful little wolf could be his. His to hold. His to love.

His...

Without a second thought, Suigetsu moved toward the door, the other five not noticing until it was too late.

With a nod toward the two wolves looking in, covered in blood, Suigetsu walked out of the safe house, hands in his pocket as his brothers fought for their lives behind him.

**{:}**

"Are they going to be okay?" Ino whispered softly to Shikamaru as they sat inside the concrete walls of the safe house, an open doorway on every wall separating them from the dominants that protected them from within the safe house. "Sai wouldn't tell me what was happening."

"Kiba said they have it handled. Whatever it is, he said we shouldn't worry." Shikamaru answered, knowing that all the submissives within the safe house heard him clearly. Looking around, he found all of their fearful eyes on him. The only five missing were Itachi, Haku, Deidara, Neji, and Sasuke. He had a feeling that the first three were in Hidan's home. Neji was kept a floor down for unknown reasons, and he had no idea where Sasuke was.

It was only an hour ago that all of the submissives were woken and brought here. When Shikamaru had asked Kiba why this was, his mate had only forced a smile and kissed him, telling him everything would be okay. The tension had been thick in the air, and even now it was shimmering. The wolves protecting them from within the safe house were numerous and he could only guess on the ones outside the safe house, for there had to be some. What could have brought all four generations to come to this?

Never in his life had they come here. This was the first time he had seen the place from within. Even the older wolves couldn't remember ever being in here. Was this a drill?

"Are we going to die?" Another wolf asked, "My mate wouldn't tell me. He just brought me here and told me to take it easy." she added rubbing her very pregnant belly nervously.

"I'm sure they have it all under control." Kurenai smiled gently at everyone. "We probably won't even be in here long."

Just like that, all eyes turned to her and Kurenai took it upon herself to keep everyone calm and collected. She started asking some of the pregnant wolves how they were. She asked the mothers about their own children, and she kept the children themselves entertained with aid from Iruka, Yamato, and a few other submissive teachers.

"Something isn't right," Tenten, another wolf two years older then Shikamaru whispered near him and Ino. Shikamaru knew that Tenten should have at least already had three pups, but for reasons that none could figure out, her body wasn't holding them to full term. The female wanted children, as did her mate, and Tsuande was aiding them along. "Lee didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. I walked passed the alphas and Naruto was giving them all orders. Telling them what was to happen. They were doing as he wanted them to do. The air feels wrong."

"Kiba promised everything was fine." Shikamaru whispered back fiercely, wanting to believe that. He couldn't imagine anything happening to his mate. The thought of Kiba being hurt scared him. The thought of anything harming his mate, made him want to curl into himself and cry. He wanted to start howling his agony to the world, and so far he felt that his mate was well and safe.

"Sai didn't say either way," Ino confessed. "My mate is as quiet as the wind. He isn't like the wolves here."

"How is he?" Tenten asked, wanting to speak about anything other then what was happening. Not wanting to think of anything happening to Lee or the others.

"He's commanding, but not. He has rules that I follow... He speaks but... I don't know how to explain him. He wishes a child within me."

"Does he hurt you?"

"No, he's never harmed me." Ino shook her head. "He asked me if I wanted to be his on the day I was given to him. I asked him if he would force me if I told him to leave. He said that he would fight to change my opinion but he wouldn't force his way on me. He isn't kind per say, but he isn't frightening either. My father approves of him. He wanted a strong mate for me. He would have preferred Naruto to Sai, but he has seen Sai's strength, he felt his aura. Unlike our alpha and Naruto, he does not hide his power."

"Do you still wish for Naruto?" Tenten asked.

"Naruto... he scares me." Ino confessed. "He is dangerous. He is an unknown and a mystery. I wanted that. I wanted to belong to someone that all feared and none knew why... but not anymore. He scares me. If you look into his eyes, you see his soul," lifting her gaze she met Tenten's, "and his soul is dark. I don't know how Sasuke can see the beast within him and continue to love him, to touch him, want him. I don't know how Sasuke can do it. Looking into Naruto's eyes, when before you got an empty slate, it's like seeing your own death. When he pushed me aside, I have never felt such fear or relief when he set me free. He showed me the wolf within him and I wish to never see it again."

"He scares Lee a little," Tenten admitted as if expressing Lee's fear was a sin. "My mate is a dominant, a kind one too, but even he felt ice touch his skin when Naruto appeared. He says the power the dominants gained from the pack, he says that it's like nothing he ever felt before. He said that what we felt was nothing compared to what the dominants felt. He is slightly afraid of our Alpha as well, but he won't say such a thing out loud. He respects them too. He says that the pack could have found no stronger alpha and wolf to join us. He holds high regards for them and will speak no ill about them. He isn't the strongest dominant, but to know that he fears them when they are his own alphas..."

"Kiba is wary of Naruto, but he feels no threats from him." Shikamaru said to calm Tenten and Ino down. "He respects both our Alpha and Naruto. And I think that all wolves that fear, even a little, is a good thing. If they didn't fear their alpha as well as respect them, they wouldn't fight to aid them. It keeps order. Though I know every wolf in our village, I am wary of all the dominants. They are stronger then I and could kill me, but I know they'll all protect me as well. So if they fear them a little, that's fine."

"I suppose." Tenten admitted. "I hope whatever this is ends soon. I don't like this place. I feel like the world is falling to pieces outside because I can't see it."

"Just hold strong. It's all we can do." Shikamaru answered, resting his head against one wall, his legs stretched out in front of him, beside him Ino pulled her own legs to her chest. Even now his eyes wandered the room. Every submissive and child was in here. Some children were fast asleep in their mother's arms. Some were play wrestling. None were crying. For that, Shikamaru felt like everything was going to be okay.

"AHHHHHH!" one of the male submissives screamed, clutching his head, waking the sleeping children and bringing them to tears. At once, everyone turned their gazes toward him, all of them holding their breaths as they watched the wolf curl into his body, screaming as he cried. He spoke but no words could be understood between his sobs. The only thing Shikamaru could make out was a name and the world 'dead'.

Seconds later another wolf broke down screaming, holding her pregnant belly as if she was dying.

"Sai..." Ino whispered, bringing his gaze quickly to her. It was then, he saw her own pale face, her eyes swarming with tears. Her hands clutched her knees together tightly. Her breathing was off. She looked on the verge of screaming and Shikamaru knew if she could remember how, she would have.

"Ino?"

"He's gone." she whispered as she tried to breathe, the tears falling thickly down her face.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Tenten cried into her hands seconds later, bowing her head to the ground as she started to scream. "No! LEE!"

As more submissives started to cry and break down before them, others simply started screaming and running. Standing, Shikamaru moved away from the wall and turned to see two unknown wolves fighting their dominants, taking them out like nothing. Soon two more joined the fray from another entrance. In silence, Shikamaru saw one of them grab a pregnant male and ripped his body in half like paper. He knew if he looked closer, he would have seen the unborn child on the ground beside it's mother's body.

"Kiba..." Shikamaru whispered as he stood there seeing the chaos around him. More submissives falling as more unknown wolves entered. Children being killed as their mothers tried to protect them. Blood drenching the ground and air, raining on them to the music of their screams and begging pleas.

How did they get in? Why were they here? Feeling something breathing down his back, Shikamaru turned his gaze to see a wolf standing above him, his skin discolored as if he was trying to shift but his wolf wasn't coming out. "Why?" he whispered softly, seeing from a distance as the wolf dropped Tenten's broken body to the ground, her tears still falling from her sightless eyes.

With a crazed grin, the man stretched his arm out. Shikamaru knew he should have ran, should have done something, but he couldn't move. Numbly he saw the hand getting closer, could almost feel it touching his neck.

With a grunt, Shikamaru felt himself falling back. In slow motion he saw Kiba in wolf form jumping over him, knocking the unknown wolf away. He saw his mate rolling with the unknown, fighting to kill him. It was as he heard one of his mate's legs break, did Shikamaru snap out of it. The muffled noise became clear, screaming wolves were heard, the sounds of battle were everywhere and Ino had yet to make a sound as she cried against the wall, facing the chaos around her.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru shifted, his instincts telling him to fight for his mate, but as he moved a step closer, one of the newer wolves stepped in front of him, grabbing the unknown from behind, his clawed hands digging into his neck, and jerked him backward. With the same easy grace, the new wolf straddled the other and slammed his clawed fingers into the other's face, digging easily passed the skin. With a twist of his hand, he pulled his arm free with a spray of blood.

Shikamaru remembered Kiba telling him this wolf's name, but he couldn't remember it. He remembered Kiba saying that this wolf was the laziest dominant that he had ever met. And that he fought when he had no other choice. He remembered his mate saying something along the lines of Naruto and Hidan getting fed up many a times because he should have been beneath them, considering his strength, but his ways made it impossible when it came to fighting for a position at the top. He also remembered hearing Kiba growling that this wolf was stronger then the dominants, almost Naruto's and their alpha's level, here and still he followed orders from Sai.

"Are you alright?" he demanded when the wolf laid unmoving, his face completely gone as bone and brain peeked through. "Answer me."

"Y-yeah." Shikamaru nodded as Kiba limped to his side, looking as if he faced an army instead of one wolf. Even hurt, Kiba looked him over, licking away the scrapes on his arms, took care of him. It was then Shikamaru realized how much he loved his mate, how much his mate truly meant to him. It was then Shikamaru's tears began to fall and he clutched onto his mate with all that he had, the fear finally hitting him hard.

"Take your mate and any other submissive away." the wolf said to Kiba. "This one wasn't the strongest wolf, but it helped that you had his attention." he went on, standing up as he looked around to see more dominant wolves holding off and falling to the unknown wolves.

"Kill the fuckers, Kakashi." Kiba snarled as he shifted, his right arm bent at an awkward angle, his left arm holding Shikamaru close even as his sides ached in agony, a rib threatening to break through skin as it slowly knitted itself in place. On his back he felt claw marks, dug by silver covered gloves, burning, but to know Shikamaru was safe, he didn't care for his own pain. Just for Shikamaru's. His thigh bone was clearly seen by his own eyes, but he was glad Shikamaru hadn't seen it. He needed his mate calm, he would not risk anything happening to him. To know that he was so close to losing him, it killed him. The rage he felt at the outsider almost touching him. He had never felt so much hate toward another. Never felt so much uncensored rage as he took the other to the ground.

"I plan too." Kakashi growled as he stalked off, within two giant steps he jumped the other from behind, taking him down and holding him as he clawed at his back, dragging bone and organs free. A few other dominants aided him, and even then the wolf didn't seem like he was going to give up.

"Shika, stay close to me." Kiba demanded as he grabbed a hold of Ino's hand, pulling her along. With a low howl, he demanded the submissives to him, calling them as he once did when he was an alpha, taking control of the other generations submissives. Each submissive was quick to follow his order, moving toward him. Even those that couldn't put a thought together went where something finally made sense. All had tried to leave the building, but the outsiders had taken over every exit, herding them together like cattle. Every wolf left alive had ended up in the middle clutched together, fighting and waiting to die, and as one they moved to Kiba, to the safety the dominant offered.

"I love you." Shikamaru whispered as Kiba lead them quickly toward an exit, trusting the other dominants to keep the outsiders from taking out any more submissives.

"I love you too, Shika." Kiba answered back, resting as little weight as he could on Shikamaru's shoulders, even then he felt like he was being carried. Once at the entrance, Kiba looked around and spotted Asuma looking worse off but still standing. Behind Asuma was Tobirama and Izuna, each looking as bad as Kiba. Being the only one in human form, Kiba took charge, "To the submissive school." he said, knowing that school would be more secured then any other place there. "Izuna you lead, Asuma to the front right, Tobirama to the back left. I'll follow. Any dominant you see on our side put them along the line. Any against us, fight them but keep the packs moving." just like that, Izuna limped quickly away as he forced himself to run. Behind him the submissives followed, staying close but keeping a distance in case he met one of the outsiders, and everyone else took their places.  
Placing Ino in Kurenai's hands, Kiba limped after the group once he made sure they were all free of the building.

The group was smaller then when it went in, most of the survivors were all within the last two generations.

There were a few within Hashirama's pack. Kiba knew that the first generations were the wolves that died first. That they had put their lives on the line, knowing that they wouldn't make it either way, and wishing the younger wolves to live the lives they had.

There were a bit more within Madara's pack that he spotted, and twice that within Fugaku's and a few wolves short of Fugaku's within Hidan's.

And within in the next generations pack, the children that would live within it, there were less then half of what went into the safe house. He knew Zabuza's family was safe, Mei had taken their children and ran from the village to hide. Zabuza had offered to take more wolves to her, Naruto had took him up on the offer, but everyone else believed that the safe house would protect their family.

They had all been wrong and Kiba felt like falling to the ground as he howled his pain for all to hear.

"Let me help you." Shikamaru said as they struggled to keep up.

"Help me by staying alive." Kiba growled as he forced himself to stand and move them to keep them only a few steps behind.

"Kiba, please I can't lose you." Shikamaru said frantically, hearing the echos of the battle from behind them.

"Shika, I'm not going anywhere." Kiba said pausing briefly when a wolf appeared. Seeing it was one of their own, he sent them quickly to the line. "If I plan to see my pup born, I have to stay alive."

"P-pup?" Shikamaru gaped as he paused, almost tripping Kiba. With a grunt, Kiba pushed them on, more dominants joining the line as they headed toward the school. "Kiba?"

"I got you, Shikamaru." Kiba smirked, hating himself for feeling so happy right then and there, feeling relief when the school came into view and the first of the submissive wolves were entering the building. He would have loved to have told his mate another way when he had smelt Shikamaru this morning, boasting that he had outwitted his genius of a mate, but he suppose this was as good as he was going to do. If he didn't live another night, he wanted Shikamaru to know he was truly claimed. "Told you I'd get your ass."

**{:}**

Sasuke groaned as he tried to open his eyes. Everything felt foggy to him, felt odd and unreal. His body felt funny and if he was moving, he didn't know. Forcing his eyes open, he blinked a few times as everything blurred and moved together. "Nar-u-to." he said, forcing his mate's name through his lips.

Where was he? What had happened to him? He remembered eating something that Naruto forced him to eat. Sasuke didn't even question his mate's command, doing as told. He remembered his mate sounding odd when he made his request, but Sasuke thought little of it then. Then after that everything became fuzzy.

"Nar...o." he got out, opening his eyes again and making out dirt and the smell of the forest.

"Stay still, Sasuke." someone said to him, sounding like they were coming from a great distance. "Naruto doesn't want you to run to him. He needs you safe." the person went on as they gently put Sasuke back onto a small blanket. Had he been on the blanket before?

"Naru'o." Sasuke tried again, blinking his eyes and making out Mei's face. The woman looked worried, looked pissed even. Sasuke thought he saw her glance over her shoulder every five seconds, but he wasn't sure. He thought he felt Mei's body tensing, as if wishing to run.

"He's fighting to protect you. You and the pup, if you carry now, Sasuke." Mei whispered running a hand gently through Sasuke's hair. "Just stay here. Stay so he doesn't have to worry."

"Naruto." he said forcing his lover's name from his lips. With a groan, he clutched his head as scenes flew across his vision. He saw blood, saw a man, saw- "NARUTO!" he screamed, the drug no longer taking affect.

"Sasuke-"

Pushing Mei off him, Sasuke shifted and ran.

**{:}**

Haku paced the basement rocking Sumaru gently, singing softly. He had heard the screaming, as faint as they were. He was scared, worried for everyone out there. What was happening? Was Zabuza okay? Was Mei and their kids? Was Sasuke and everyone else okay? He knew Hidan was safe, he felt him more then heard him guarding the basement door.

Hearing a growling grunt like noise, Haku turned to see Itachi and Deidara. Both of them couldn't seem to keep still. Moving about their nest as they stretched out their legs before curling into themselves again. Seeing Itachi's face scrunch up in pain, Haku put Sumaru down on his make shift crib as he moved closer to the raven.

Climbing on the edge of the bed, he moved Itachi's sweat damp hair away from his face. "Hold on a little longer." Haku whispered as he turned his attention to Deidara's soft whimpers. Both of the wolves were bare now, each tearing the shirt Hidan had put on them off, shredding it to pieces. "It's okay, Deidara. I'm here." Haku said, moving the sheet, that Deidara had somehow positioned over him, and gasped. Spotting the blood, Haku moved around Deidara, hoping he was wrong, but when he gently lifted Deidara's leg, he realized that one of his best friends was now on the last stages of labor. "Okay, okay, they talked about this in school. Mikoto told us about what to expect. Our teachers told us too." Haku whispered to himself as he gently lowered Deidara's leg and took a step back. Stunned that Deidara could even go into labor at a time like this. Didn't he understand what was happening? "We read about this and we know more or less what's going to happen." Trying to calm himself, Haku grabbed some clean towels from within the dryer and ran back to Deidara. Placing some down beside him, he turned to place some beside Itachi and stilled.

Itachi was on all fours, his bottom positioned to the mattress as he took deep breaths, panting between them, before going completely still for a few minutes. Sweat fell down his body as blood dripped down between his thighs.

A doctor should have been here in case something went wrong, but Haku knew that most wolves gave birth with only their mate within the room. "Itachi..." he paled trying to stay calm and not think about what was going on outside.

"Nhhhhhh," Itachi groaned as he tensed up slightly, trying to push the pup free.

"It's okay, Itachi, relax and take your time." Haku said as he grabbed a small hand towel and patted at Itachi's drenched face. With a whimper, Itachi took another breath, his eyes not really seeing anything as his hands dug into the mattress, his claws digging holes into the material. When he shifted his legs farther apart, he froze up again. "I see the head, Itachi," Haku said moving the sheets around Itachi's bloody thighs, creating a soft patting for the baby when he slid free. "I see it." Haku said with a smile, forgetting about the outside world. When Itachi moved again, the head disappeared within and Itachi whimpered once more.

"Mmmmmmm," Deidara growled softly, pawing at the mattress beneath him as he laid on his side, bending his legs as he pushed.

Wanting to cry at what he was seeing, Haku moved the towels closer to Deidara. From the way Deidara was resting, Haku couldn't see the baby. "You can do this, Deidara." he whispered.

Moving to check on Itachi's progress, Haku paused when flashes of images appeared. Stumbling, he held a hand to his head, trying to make out what he was seeing. No, what Hidan was seeing. He knew Hidan was fighting, and the fear that came with that was quick to spread through Haku. Focusing himself to listen, Haku made out a few thumps before something crashed open and the noise sounded farther away.

"Hidan..." he whispered, moving quickly to the basket Sumaru was within, he put his crying child farther into the room, putting him beneath a shelf next to the mattress. Grabbing a few crates, he placed them in front of the basket. "Shhhh," he told his son frantically, "I'm right here. Everything's okay. Shhh."

Moving to a stop at the foot of the stairs, Haku shifted. He would kill anyone that wasn't Hidan or die trying. Pushing his fear back, Haku ignored Deidara's scream of pain and Itachi's growling cry. He ignored his own child's frantic screaming and focused on the entrance.

Hearing footsteps outside the basement door, Haku put one paw on the first step, ready to run up and force whoever it was back. Lowering his head, he barred his teeth, his fur rising with the fear and threat he was feeling. When the knob turned slowly, Haku placed another paw on the second step and tensed.

A growl fell from his body, even as a baby's cry broke through the air, joining Sumaru's own.

**{:}**

"Give up." Sasori smirked into Hidan's face, pushing the wolf farther away from the cabin. Already three of Kakuzu's wolves were dead. Suien had fallen first, he was the weakest compared to the rest. Sasori knew his Alpha should have killed him a long time ago.

Not far after him was Shinno and then Mui. Sasori could have cared less for either of them, but the more that died on their side, the more power and strength his Alpha lost. Even now he felt Hiruko, their youngest member at only thirteen, fighting to stay alive and taking as much as he could before he fell. Both Zetsus' were fighting the dominants along side the boy. Orochimaru and Kisame were going after the submissives once more

And Sasori was to distract Hidan while Kazuma took out his mates.

Kakuzu wanted Hidan weak. Wanted him to suffer as their Alpha took care of Naruto. The packs here were almost laughable, weak children compared to what Hidan once had. Why someone would choose this over power, Sasori would never understand.

Grunting when Hidan's claws crossed his side, Sasori stumbled back, holding the silver claws he had sewed into his skin above the wound. "You will all die. My Alpha wishes it so. Even now the rest all die."

"My pack will keep my people safe." Hidan glared, trying to get back to the cabin. Something was wrong, his mates and children were in danger. He could feel his new pup screaming to the world and the other fighting to break free to follow his second child. Still Haku's face kept popping into his head. Haku needed him now!

"Do you believe that? Tell me you do not feel the deaths of your weak pets? That you do not feel your dominants falling?"

"Even then they fight with us." Hidan growled, barely avoiding a silver clawed hand. He knew Sasori wouldn't shift, from what he had heard and knew, Kakuzu's wolves couldn't hold their second form. They were strong, gifted, powerful, but none could truly shift. Each had lost that ability when Kakuzu had found them and built them up, made them more human then animal. Falling to one side was always disastrous, but to fall to the human side... those ones grew stronger then the ones that fell the other way.

_'Hidan!'_

At Itachi's mental scream, Hidan lost himself to his wolf. Within one blink he knew no more. Knew nothing of the pain digging into his sides as he tore into the skin before him. Knew nothing but the screams coming from his lovers.

**{:}**

"Run and you can live, little one." Kakuzu grinned as he backhanded Naruto across the face, sending the wolf flying back. Advancing on the other, he chuckled as Naruto tried to stand, his body shaking with the effort. "I just want Hidan."

"You... can't... have... him." Naruto got out as blood leaked from his mouth. Kakuzu knew he was in pain. All the little wounds given with every strike of Kakuzu's silver clawed gloves, going against the blonde wolf. If he remembered correctly, the old scars on Naruto's body were made by both Zetsus'.

"Give him to me and everyone lives." Kakuzu lied, digging his claws into Naruto's shoulder and lifting him up. Even then the young wolf refused to scream, instead he threw his arm back, slamming the side of his fist into Kakuzu's head. With a growl, Kakuzu, kicked out, breaking Naruto's knee like fragile glass. With his other hand, he dragged his claws down the once scar-free spine before him. As Naruto arched away, Kakuzu threw him to the ground again. "Surrender to me."

"No." Naruto panted as he twisted his body, barely avoiding Kakuzu's boot in the middle of his spine. When Naruto kicked out, Kakuzu caught his foot and sliced his claws through Naruto's calf, cutting it to the bone.

"This can end, Naruto." Kakuzu said, picking Naruto up by his injured leg and slamming into into a tree, breaking the tree in half. How was it that Naruto could survive this? Many would have fallen and died but still Naruto fought on.

"Only when you kill me." Naruto grunted as he tried to stand, forcing his injured legs to carry his weight. "I was there too. I let him kill her."

"You were young. You knew no better." Kakuzu said. "He took her life. He killed her."

"She wanted to die!" Naruto shouted, grunting again as he coughed up blood, Kakuzu's claws digging into his stomach.

"She would have lived for me. For her child." Kakuzu whispered into Naruto's ear. "For the child that's still alive."

"No." Naruto said as pain etched across his face, his hands trying to push Kakuzu away but gaining no ground. He had lost too much blood. The silver was slowing his reflexes. Was slowly killing him. His body didn't want to pump his poisoned blood anymore. His heart couldn't take much more of this. Even now he felt it skipping a beat, every other one.

"Yes, he lives. You know him. You found him half dead on your travels. You made him whole again and he wanted to learn to be a healer because of you." Kakuzu said softly, running a loving hand down Naruto's face to force their gazes to collide. Twisting his fingers a little, Kakuzu smiled gently at the boy he had raised beside Hidan. When he had seen him as a child, a little boy with his father, Kakuzu knew he'd be strong. If only Naruto knew it was Kakuzu that had pushed for the deaths of both Minato and Kushina. That he wasn't an orphaned found by Hidan, but that Kakuzu had found him long before that. "You trusted him. He is strong and filled with my blood. Filled with my hate."

"No." Naruto shook his head, trying to understand this. The baby was dead. It had to have died. Hidan had killed Yugao. Kabuto wouldn't have betrayed them. Kabuto wasn't related to this bastard. The age was off. What was Kakuzu talking about.

"Kabuto let them in." Kakuzu said, releasing Naruto to fall to the ground, watching as the wolf made no move to stand, his skin turning a pale grey. The color one went when silver was killing the major organs. Killing the brain, the heart, the lungs. With every cut given, the silver had entered his blood stream, killing off the cells within as it traveled. "Your pack is turning against you, Naruto. There is nothing to fight for anymore. Give up."

"No..."

"When you die, Naruto." Kakuzu started, kneeling before him as he turned the younger male on his back. Bending down he kissed Naruto's bloody forehead tenderly. "Tell me what will happen then?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Gaara felt his heart stop. His eyes focused on the tool getting closer and closer to ending his mate's life. No matter how much he screamed, cursed, demanded, and begged... no matter how much he cried, he couldn't get in. He couldn't make it to his mate. He wouldn't be able to save him, to love his child. "NEJI!"

Slamming his fist against the door again, he screamed his lover's name again. He heard more screaming join his own. Heard more cries of fear and smelt the scent of death and blood. He knew in the back of his mind that the submissives needed him, but not as much as his mate needed him.

When the first sight of blood dripped down Kabuto's hand, Gaara felt his wolf dying inside of him. He knew Tsuande was trying to save Neji, dragging her body over the ground painfully slow. He saw her speaking words, but that did little as the pool of blood grew bigger, as the blade started to drag across Neji's beautiful throat. As his beautiful lover's body jumped and struggled to break free of the drug. Before his own mind went blank, Gaara saw the moment Neji's eyes opened, and his pain and torment seemed to explode off of him. He saw Neji try to run, but his body did nothing but fall to the ground as Kabuto stood over him, sobbing as blood dripped down his hand.

Falling to his own knees, Gaara slid down the unbreakable glass door, his own hands leaving streaks of blood trailing down with him. "Neji..."

**{:}**

Tsunade gasped at the scene before her. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. She cried over and over inside her mind. Neji wasn't dying. Neji wasn't bleeding. Kabuto wasn't sobbing about how sorry he was that he had to do it. He wasn't standing over Neji's dying form as he cried like a child, begging for forgiveness.  
Looking around her frantically, Tsuande saw Gaara, watching as the red dominant collapsed to his knees, his tears falling down his face as the agony of what he was forced to witness played out before him.

She knew if it wasn't for the door, he'd be in here. But the only way to open it was to stand in front of it. To have a living organism open it. She wouldn't make it in time but... looking down at her own hand, Tsuande called forth her wolf, fighting the silver as she focused her claws to growl. When at last she had enough of her claws free, she took one breath and brought one hand down upon the other, just above the wrist.

The pain was overwhelming. Bringing a scream of pain to her own throat. She saw her fingers moving, flexing as they turned back to normal but she didn't feel anything but what she had done. As blood trailed from her own limbs, Tsuande grabbed her hand. With the remaining strength she had before she passed out from shock, she tossed her limb across the room.

With a whoosh the door flew open and Gaara attacked. The last sight she saw was Kabuto screaming his tearful apologies and a blood red wolf calling for death.

**{:}**

"What's a pup doing in a wolf's fight?" Kakashi asked as Hiruko stood between him and Zabuza. Kakashi knew if he looked back he'd see death. Innocents dead, killed by a child dominant. He knew if he looked back he'd see the faces of little children that would never become more, that would never have a tenth birthday, grow older, find a mate, and have their own children. He knew he'd see babies that didn't get a chance at life. That he'd see dominants that fought hard but still weren't strong enough to face the enemy.

"I am no pup!" Hiruko growled, his body trying hard to shift but unable to complete the transformation. "I am a god!"

"A god? Is this how low they have fallen then?" Zabuza tsked, one arm hanging limply at his side as his knees threatened to buckle and send him crashing to the floor. Even for a young dominant unable to shift, this one was strong. He was fast.

"You will pay for your insults!" Hiruko snarled, jumping toward him only to go flying back as Kakashi interfered, kicking the non-shifter away, at the same time pushing Zabuza back. With a grunt, Zabuza landed hard, the sticky wet floor telling him exactly what he had landed him. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see the faces of people he had known his whole life. Not wanting to see faces of children that could have been his own. God, so much death done by less then a dozen wolves.

"Are you alright?" someone said softly.

With a gasp, Zabuza blinked his blurry vision and focused on a face he knew. "Yamato?" he whispered, seeing the submissive bleeding from various points in his body. The young teacher was in tears, checking his wounds even as Kakashi faced off against the little dominant. "Why aren't you with Kiba?" he demanded, forcing himself to sit up, focusing completely on the scared wolf, pulling the other's hands off of him.

"I can't get out." Yamato whispered, running the back of his hand over his face and smearing blood, his eyes haunted with the images he had seen only moments ago. "I can't get out."

"Why not?" Zabuza said, forcing himself to look around, trying to figure out what was keeping the submissive here. Like he feared, he saw a nightmare before him. Bodies of old and young laid throughout the floor. "Yamato why can't you leave?"

"I can't leave the children. I was supposed to protect them. I was supposed to keep them safe. I told Iruka I would." Yamato cried, looking toward the right. "I tried to keep them safe. I tried so hard but I couldn't. I told Iruka I would, I told him I'd protect them. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't keep them alive. But I promised them I wouldn't leave them."

"Yamato, you need to go somewhere safe." Zabuza said, looking away from the still bodies of the little wolves.

"I can't leave them. I promised." Yamato sobbed, flinching as the fight between Kakashi and Hiruko grew closer. "I promised to protect them. I told them I would."

"Where's Iruka?" Zabuza asked, only to follow Yamato's finger. Iruka was curled around a child, his body doing it's best to protect the little girl. He could barely make out the little girl's hand clutching his shirt, but he saw the hole in Iruka's chest clearly. Even in death, Iruka watched over her tiny form.

"Don't touch her!" Yamato screamed, bringing Zabuza's gaze from the dead wolves. In stunned silence, he watched as Yamato shifted and attacked Hiruko from behind as the wolf landed near a dead child. With a snarl, the submissive struck the young wolf, trying hard to kill him. The rage and protective urge Zabuza felt coming off the submissive stunned him. How could a wolf, one not in tuned with fighting, draw blood from a wolf that both himself and Kakashi had trouble with? How could a submissive fight his nature and attack a dominant?

"Son of a bitch!" Kakashi cursed as both he and Zabuza ran at Hiruko, grabbing the distracted wolf as he threw Yamato hard enough to dent the ground. Without saying a thing, both dominants pulled the young wolf's arms back, ignoring the silver of his claws and snarling growls. "May hell keep your filthy soul." Kakashi snarled as he twisted Hiruko's claws up and forced the wolf to penetrate his own heart.

**{:}**

Fugaku stood protectively over his wife even as his body threatened to give up. For a non-shifter, Orochimaru was good, he was strong. He found their weakness in less time it took for them to realize they had any. He had destroyed half the older dominants with just his two hands. He had taken out Mito without so much as a blink of his eyes. The she-wolf was a powerful female, one that all had looked up to and to see her fall so easily as both her and Hashirama went against this wolf had stunned them. Hashirama had fallen soon after as his wolf screamed in agony. His dominant followers had little to no chance as they tried to avenge their alpha.

The rest of them had simply charged, striking the wolf when they could and falling back when they couldn't. Mikoto had struck him hard, pushing him back as Shisui came from the right and another came from the left. Madara and Fugaku had went to attack but the snake had once more stunned them all as Shisui was sent flying back, hitting the wall of the shelter and falling silently, and Mikoto had pushed the other wolf back, gaining the deadly claws into her ribs.

With a cruel lift of his lips, Orochimaru had pulled his claws up, dragging them through her beautiful fur. And when his hand had broke free of her body, her human form had fallen in a heap, her eyes unseeing.

Fugaku had ran to her side, pushing at her with his nose to get her to move, to smile and cradle him close to her. But nothing he did, no whine from his throat or begging lick of his tongue, would wake her.

He knew that Madara was facing off against the snake, and that other Uchihas had come to their aid. He knew he was still needed, but his heart continued to crack, breaking and falling to the ground like glass. He knew he rather face death again and again then wake up without her.

All he could see was Mikoto smiling at him. He saw her the day they met and the coy smile she had sent his way. He saw the joyful tears in her eyes as she accepted him. He remembered the day he told her he smelt their child. He remembered the tears she had when both realized she couldn't bring the child to full term. He remembered as they made a little grave for the lost baby. He remembered the stunned shock when they realized they would have another baby. The day they first held Itachi in their arms. The day they held Sasuke. He remembered how hard his birth had been and when they both decided they didn't need to have any more. He remembered every day after that, and all the love they had. He remembered the way she had cried in happiness when Hidan had claimed Itachi. He remembered her smiling in a knowing way after meeting Naruto. And he remembered that after today, he would never see her smile again, would never hear her say 'I love you' one more time.

Lifting his head, Fugaku howled. He howled his pain to the world. Howled over and over again as the chaos continued on around him.

Lowering his head, Fugaku licked his mate's cold cheek one more time and when he opened his eyes, he knew they were blood red.

Shifting to his human form, Fugaku moved with the grace of a predator, his fellow wolves falling back as he passed them, each following his lead and shifting to human. When he was almost upon them, he forced Madara away with a push of his hand. And when the snake turned to face him, finally feeling the danger upon him, Fugaku called forth the gift of the Uchiha, the one that had brought fame to their family, a gift so strong that the only way to use it was to bring on your own death, and let his eyes lock the snake into his own hell. When at last he tied the last mythical chain in place, Fugaku felt his eyes turn black. Turning to Madara he smiled softly and said, "Don't let them win." unknowing if he gained an answer or not, Fugaku felt his life leave his body and knew he'd be in the arms of his love soon enough.

**{:}**

Kiba stiffened. The air smelt foul. Smelt dead. He knew the deaths of their packs were adding to the air, but this scent was... "MOVE!" he snarled, pushing Shikamaru forward as the submissives ran for all that they were worth, each racing to enter the building before them. "Get them in there!" he went on, turning around as two bodies came into view.

"Kiba!" he heard Shikamaru shout, but he ignored him. With his eyes trained on the two wolves he growled low in his throat.

"Fear." one of the two said causing the other to laugh.

"They taste best when they know they will die." the other went on with a smirk on his face, going one way as the other went toward the left, circling him. "They beg to die, even the strong."

"Master said we could eat." the first one went on.

"Then let us eat, brother." the second said as both ran at him. With a twist of his body, Kiba dodged both their flying attacks, only to land on his bad leg and fall hard. With a grunt, he moved again, just as one of them struck the ground before him, their silver claws dragging over the ground. And each move he made was the same. Jump, dodge, roll. Their claws only seconds behind him as they continued to hit and strike the ground. Their laughter was cold and unnatural. Their speed was fast, but he knew they were only toying with him, tiring him out.

"Fuck!" he cursed as one of their claws struck his ankle, anchoring him to the ground. With a growl, he shifted and attacked with his fangs. He clamped on to the one that had him pinned.

"Bad puppy." the second growled as he grasped Kiba by the back of his neck and threw him, the silver claw popping free of his skin as another bone was pulled from his body.

With a pain filled growl, Kiba stood back up, keeping all weight off his back leg, hoping that his other leg would still hold him up.

"That hurt." the wolf growled, holding a hand to his bleeding wrist, licking at it gently.

"Then this will hurt a lot more!" someone said coming up behind the wolf and swinging a metal bar down hard on his back.

"AHHH!" the non-shifter screamed as he arched forward, the second non-shifter turning to face the newcomer.

"Bring it bitch." the wolf growled, her pale eyes filled with rage. Her clothes were in disarray, torn and barely holding together. Wounds covered her even as they slowly started to heal.

With a snarl, the second non-shifter attacked, only to be tackled to the ground by a brown wolf.

"No!" the first cried, reaching toward the second, only to cry out again as the metal rod cracked down on his hand.

"A wolf with no pelt is no wolf that should live," Hinata said, dropping the bar and falling behind the non-shifter. With a snarl, her face started to shift. Lifting the first non-shifter up, she bared her fangs and clamped down hard, twisting her head until the wolf stopped moving. "Are you well, Kiba?" she asked him, spitting out the dead wolf's blood.

Instead of answering, Kiba fell to his side, shifting to his human form. "Check the school, I don't know how many traitors we have."

"Tobirama and Izuna have it under control. The rest of our fighters are sniffing for traitors or running to aid others." Shino said, drenched in blood. Kiba knew if he looked, he'd see the pale twin of the wolf by Hinata's feet just as dead.

"How many are dead?" he asked, needing to know.

"I haven't seen all the surv-"

"How many, Shino? Please tell me how many friends and family I've lost. Tell me so that the submissives aren't left wondering." he begged.

"Kiba-"

"We are half of what we were." Hinata whispered

"...Thank you." Kiba whispered, unsure of what he was feeling. Knowing only that he was crying but little else.

**{:}**

"Knock, knock." came a woman's soft voice. "Anyone home?" she asked almost happily.

The way she spoke, confused Haku. Her scent was familiar, her voice just as much, but with all the chaos happening outside, she shouldn't have been speaking as she was. She should have been aiding Hidan. Did she...

"Haku, I know you're here." she said as the door fully opened, showing Haku that his fear had come true. On her hands were silver claws, like the claws he had seen through Hidan's eyes. Each claw was tinted red, like the stains on her clothing. Her smirk spoke of evil. "Oh the children are here as well?" she laughed, looking down at him as Sumaru and another baby cried. "How fun it'll be for me..." She went on, lifting one foot as if to step down, "to kill them in front of your eyes." she finished placing her foot on the next step.

That was all Haku needed, with a growl, he charged up the stairs and sprang. He knew her gasp was one of surprise as she went falling back with him on top of her. Clamping onto her shoulder, he shook her. He attacked even as her arms came around him and threw him against the couch. With a curl of her lips, Samui stood back up, her eyes shifting to her wolf's. "Moronic dog! You'll pay for that!" she screamed as she came at him, grabbing him by his neck and throwing him into the kitchen, breaking the table.

With a whine of pain, Haku rolled to his belly and tried to stand, only to lose his footing as she sat on his back, her legs clamping around him tightly.

"Little submissives should know their places." She whispered into his ear, holding his muzzle in one of her hands as the other trailed down his side. "They should know when to roll over and when they are wanted. All a submissive is good for is fucking and breeding and even then they are a waste of air." she laughed. "Should I show you your place first? Before I kill you, that is." she asked, playing with his tail. "I don't have the parts to do so, but I'm sure I can find something to replicate the process."

With those words, Haku saw a piece of the table moving into his vision. One of the table legs that snapped with his fall. His heart froze as her words came back to him. With fear tearing through him, Haku struggled even harder to break free. When she laughed again and the leg disappeared, trailing down his side, he lost himself to the terrifying moment when her actions would become words.

"NO!" he heard someone scream as Samui was thrown off of him.

Without waiting to see who it was, Haku turned and ran, unsure of where he was going only that he had to go somewhere else. Somehow or other he ended up at the front door, was almost about to run to his freedom when another wolf blocked his escape. He couldn't see who it was, if they were the enemy or not, only that it was someone else that could hurt him. Skidding to a stop, Haku turned and ran in another direction. With a whine of fear, Haku was tackled from behind, hands coming around him. Crying out in fear, Haku didn't register a word the other spoke until he was turned to his side and his head twisted to look at his captor.

"Haku!" his captor screamed in his face, running gentle hands through his fur. "Look at me!" slowly the image of his lover took place over the image of a monster. When Haku could finally see clearly, he shifted and threw his arms around Hidan, sobbing his fear into his mate's neck.

He didn't register the fight happening in the kitchen, or the babies down stairs now being joined by a third. He didn't hear Itachi's fearful voice trying to calm the children or Deidara's own, crying out for them. He only knew that Hidan was there, covered in blood, and was going to keep him safe. "Haku, love, go downstairs."

"No," Haku cried, clutching tighter to his mate.

"Haku, I need you to be strong. I need you to, no, listen to me." Hidan ordered, putting power into his voice as he looked into Haku's frantic eyes. "You're safe. I told you I would protect you. That I would protect all of you and I will. No one will ever hurt you again. So long as I live, Haku. Anyone that tries to stop me will die. Go to Itachi and Deidara, stay downstairs until I come for you." he said more gently. Kissing Haku, he helped the wolf to the stairs. "Go, Haku." he ordered when his mate hesitated. With a shaky nod, Haku limped down the stairs, looking back as Hidan closed the door between them.

Turning away from the door separating him from his family, Hidan turned toward the kitchen where the battle continued on. Moving toward them, Hidan found Suigetsu barely holding his own against Samui.

When Suigetsu sprung at the female, Hidan was ready. As she jumped back, he moved forward. With only a twist of his hands, her body crumbled to the floor. "Tell me." he said, looking at Suigetsu as the wolf made no move to stand. "Tell me."

"I didn't mean for this to happen." Suigetsu said tearfully. "I didn't mean... They promised me... They told me that if I did, I'd get..."

"Haku." Hidan said when the wolf broke down.

"They weren't supposed to hurt him." Suigetsu went on. "They said he'd be spared. That we'd both be safe... All I had to do was help them."

"You killed a village to get a wolf that was already mated." With those words, Hidan grasped Suigetsu by the throat and lifted him up. "That was already mated to me. You tortured a wolf that did nothing but choose me over you."

"They weren't supposed to hurt him!" Suigetsu screamed.

"What they did to him is nothing compared to what you did to him." Hidan glared. "For the rest of his life he's going to remember this day. To remember that because of you, a whole village died for him. That his friends and family died because of him. And then he's going to start believing it was his fault."

"No," Suigetsu said as Hidan's words registered. "It's not-"

"You're right, it's not." Hidan agreed. "I can't do that to him. To any of the remaining villagers. If no one knows of your involvement, no one will ever think one of their own betrayed them. You will die a stupid wolf with no whispers from any mourners. No one will remember you beyond those that live today and none will speak of you."

"I'm sorry."

"I am not the one that needs your apologies. Tell your words to the dead that you murdered." Hidan finished as he sliced Suigetsu's throat with one of his claws. Dropping the wolf to seize in his own blood, Hidan turned away from them, heading toward the basement where the last of his sanity waited for him.

**{:}**

Sasuke broke free of the trees, stumbling slightly when he found his mate the color of death. Naruto looked so lifeless, so broken. His blood standing out against the grey of his unmoving skin. With a cry, he shifted to his human form and ran passed the danger that stood over his mate.

"Naruto!" Sasuke screamed as he clutched Naruto to his chest, holding his mates bigger form tightly against him. "Please Naruto!" he begged wishing Naruto to move. Wishing that the rise of his chest wasn't so far apart. That the beat of his heart would happen faster. "Naruto, don't leave me!" he begged, feeling death's hands tugging at him. Feeling his own life leaving him as Naruto's soul fell farther and farther away from him. Struggling to breathe, Sasuke knew that this was it. That there was no one coming to save them now.

Looking toward his mate's murderer, Sasuke let his hate show in his eyes.

"Silly wolf." Kakuzu chuckled, crouching down before them. "Silly, silly wolf. A tie like yours was a mistake on your part. Had you not been about to die, I would have kept you for my own."

"Fuck...you." Sasuke said as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed above Naruto.

**{:}**

Naruto walked through a meadow. For that moment in time, he had no memory of a past. No memory of a present. And no thought of the future. The golden meadow felt wonderful against him, each strand tickling his fingers as his bare feet marveled at the softness. The sky above him was clear, no clouds threatening to over take the shining sun warming his back. Everything was peaceful, calming.

It was beautiful.

Lifting his head he took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, trying to bring this moment into his body forever.

Feeling a tug at his hand, Naruto blinked and looked down. Right beside him was a child of five. Her red hair falling down her back as her dark eyes laughed along with the smile tugging on her lips.

Feeling his own lips lift in response, Naruto let her tug him wherever she wanted to go. They walked for what seem like ever, him watching her, his heart filling with love as she skipped beside him. He had no idea who she was, or why she was there, but he was happy to have her beside him. He knew no amount of time, no amount of force could keep him from cherishing her.

"Who are you?" he asked when they stopped and she forced him to sit as she climbed into his laps. Resting her head on his shoulder, he let her little fingers play with his hands. She felt fragile in his arms, breakable. She felt so tiny that he felt the strongest urge to protect her and keep her safe. When fear for her safety tried to overcome him, she looked up and smiled at him again, her eyes looking achingly familiar.

For some reason Naruto knew those eyes should have been on another person. "Tell me your name." he whispered to her.

"_I love you_." she mouthed, no words escaping to form a voice. "_Forever and ever_."

"I love you too." Naruto said, smiling once more at the little angel who had captured his heart with just her smile.

Just like that, the little girl got up and started running around. With a motion of her hands, he knew she was asking for a game of chase and Naruto could not deny her. With laughter spilling over him they played for hours, he chased her and tickled her when he got close enough, and she chased him back. He always let her escape and catch him, enjoying her playful spirit, wishing he could hear her laughing right along with him.

When the next time he caught her, she turned in his arms and hugged him. Holding him as if she were afraid to let him go. "What's wrong?" he asked her, rubbing a hand gently over her back. In answer she shook her head, lifting her face and showing him her tears falling down her cheeks. "What is it?" he asked as his heart beat faster. "Tell me."

"_Mama_." she mouthed.

"Mama?" who was mama? With a turn of her head, she pointed farther down the meadow and that's when Naruto saw him. Laying as if sleeping, was... "Sasuke!" putting the little girl down he ran to him, falling to his knees beside his mate as he tried to wake him. "Sasuke, little wolf?" he called, kissing his face gently. "Sasuke, wake up." he ordered. "Why isn't he waking up?" he begged the little girl when she knelt on the other side of Sasuke.

In answer the little girl kissed Sasuke's cheek. "_I love you_." she said again hugging Sasuke. Her little body quivering with the emotion she held back.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked again, slowly starting to understand the meaning to her eyes and the hold she had on his heart.

"_Honoka_." she mouthed, "_I'm Honoka_."

"Honoka?" he whispered, watching as the little girl touched her hand above her heart before placing it on Sasuke's stomach. "You're our daughter?" he whispered in awe.

Nodding, Honoka's lips quivered with suppressed tears. Unable to see her crying, Naruto pulled her into his arms, holding Sasuke and her close. He felt something was going to change. That something wasn't going to be right. That his heart was going to break. "Why are we here?" he whispered into her red hair. There was only one way she would have gained that color... his mother.

"_I wanted to meet you before_..." she said, looking up at him, touching his face as if to memorize it, before doing the same to Sasuke.

"Before what, Honoka?" Naruto whispered afraid that if he spoke louder he'd truly start to cry.

"_Before I say good-bye_." Honoka answered, looking at him with tears falling slowly down her beautiful face.

"Good-bye?" No, he couldn't lose her. Not their daughter. Not their beautiful baby girl. He was supposed to protect her. "Hono, please, whatever you're going to do, don't. Don't do it. Not for us."

Honoka smiled again. "_I'll be okay, Papa. I'll see you again someday._"

"Honoka, please..." Naruto started again, feeling for the first time in a long time, his tears falling down his face when she stood up and kissed his cheek. He held her tightly to both him and Sasuke. He held her with all the strength he had, never wanting to let her go. "Don't go, baby. Don't leave us."

"_I love you_." she said again, pulling back.

"Honoka, I order you to stay here!" Naruto demanded, reaching for her as she continued to walk backward one step at a time, her smile never leaving her face. "Honoka!"

"_Bye_." she said, turning away from them.

"Hono..." Naruto said stalling on her name as two people formed beside her. "Mom? Dad?" he said looking at the smiling faces of his parents. When Honoka smiled up at both of them, Naruto knew then, knew as they each reached down to take her hand, that his daughter would be safe. Would be waiting for him and Sasuke when it was their time. He knew that his parents would watch over her. Knew that his daughter had gave up her life to save theirs.

"Naruto." his dad said, his words reaching Naruto's ears. "We're so proud of you. I know you're hurting, son, but somethings cannot be changed. Some people were created to be hero's." he went on, looking down at Honoka fondly.

"We love you, little one," His mom said, her long red hair blowing in the wind all around them. Blending into Honoka's hair to the point where he couldn't tell which strand belong to who. "But this isn't your ending."

"Why?" He asked, holding Sasuke tighter to his body. "Why?"

"It was how it was meant to be." someone said beside him, stunning him more when he saw Fugaku and Mikoto there with the same soft smiles on their lips. "You need to go back, Naruto, you need to go back because Sasuke can't hold on forever. And when you wake, your eyes will see new things. Your destiny will be altered. And your future sons will be waiting for you to give them life." Fugaku said, running a loving hand through Sasuke's hair as he hugged both of them.

"Protect my sons, Naruto, protect my grandchildren." Mikoto said tearfully, crouching down to kiss Sasuke's cheek and doing the same to him. "Tell them I love them. Tell them we'll protect them from above." she smiled as Fugaku helped her up and both moved toward his parents and daughter. "We'll watch over our granddaughter, and she'll be watching over you."

Slowly more people began to form behind the group. People he remembered from Sasuke's home. Dominants with their arms around submissives. Children waving at him as newborns watched him without a worry in their eyes. To the side of them all he saw his own friends and family. Twelve out of the fifteen who had stayed with him. In front was Sai. His arms crossed over his chest and a small smirk on his face. When he saw that Naruto noticed him, he nodded his head and faded away, taking almost everyone with him.

"We'll be waiting, son." his dad finished. "And we don't mind waiting a very long time." with that, both his and Sasuke's parents turned away once more with Honoka, their steps taking them farther as they slowly faded from view. Even as their outlines shimmered before him, Naruto felt love overcome him. Felt his world shifting back into place.

"I love you, Hono." he called out to her, watching as she stopped and turned to face him, her little smile never wavering from her face. "Forever and ever." he repeated her words back to her, even as his heart felt like it would break and his words were coated in his pain. Without saying another word she was gone. Looking down at Sasuke, he placed his hand above his mate's belly, feeling nothing that showed his daughter once rested within there. Bending over his mate, he screamed his pain to the world around, screamed and screamed his heartbreak, and the knowledge that Sasuke never got to meet their little angel. That his mate would go back expecting to see his parents and their daughter forming within him. That his friends were gone and that a once healthy happy village had fallen to pieces once they had arrived.

When he could scream no more, Naruto opened his eyes.

**{:}**

"Such a shame." Kakuzu chuckled as he continued to kneel beside Naruto and his mate. "You would have made a fine wolf one day." he went on as he ran a gentle finger down Naruto's face. "To think it came down to thi-what!" he stumbled back as Naruto's eyes flew open without warning. What stunned him more was that instead of the blue, Naruto's eyes were completely yellow, tears falling freely down his face.

Without words, Naruto sat up, placing his mate behind him as Sasuke gasped for air. Within the next heartbeat, the blonde wolf was on his feet, his wounds healing quickly, forcing the silver from his body.

"How?" Kakuzu demanded angrily as he stood. Instead of an answer, Naruto sprang at him. His body shifting part way, becoming half man half wolf, his fur coming out red instead of blonde. Attacking with his claws, Kakuzu jumped back again, barely missing the other wolf's mouth in the process. Striking out again, he caught Naruto across the face, leaving a trail of blood behind, causing the wolf to stumble. "It doesn't matter. You're as good as dead." he smirked as he struck out again. Each swipe of his hand cutting the other wolf's chest. With each attack, he forced the red wolf back.

Without a sound, Naruto struck him with the back of his clawed hand, sending him flying back. Before he had time to gain his footing, Naruto snarled, making the first noise Kakuzu had heard him utter causing chills to spread down his spine, before attacking again. With wide eyes, he watched from the ground as the wounds he had given Naruto a moment ago, faded away just as quickly as they appeared.

It was then, for the first time in his life, Kakuzu truly felt fear.

**{:}**

Sasuke coughed, his lungs aching painfully as his vision tried to focus on what was going on around him. Pushing himself to his hand and knees he turned his head toward the sound of a fight. At first the images confused him. They were fast, dark splotches. Blinking a few more times, his vision cleared enough to see Kakuzu and a wolf, but not a wolf. A mixture of both were you couldn't tell where the animal and the human separated. The fur, as red as blood, covered him, outlining the man beneath it. He was tall, taller then Kakuzu by at least four feet.

He knew of people that could take on partial shifts. Taking features of their wolf to overcome their human form, but never in his life had he seen a wolf hold both forms so evenly. To neither be man nor animal. Never in his life had he seen a creature or heard of a creature like this. The power this wolf had, the strength in every part of his body... it was frightening.

When the wolf snarled, Sasuke jumped and stumbled backward. The rage and pain in that one sound, the madness and heartbreak... How could someone hold so much pain? Hold so much agony in their bodies? Who could hold... "Naruto," Sasuke gasped in shock as the hybrid fell to all fours and ran at Kakuzu.

How was this his mate? How had Naruto done this? Was this more of the power that once came from his previous pack?

Flinching, Sasuke watched in shock as Naruto grabbed a struggling Kakuzu from the ground and threw him hard against the trees around them, causing a few to crack and two to break. With another snarl, Naruto turned to face Sasuke. "Naruto..." Sasuke said again, fear making it impossible to speak above a soft whisper. Naruto eyes were eyes of the dead. Sasuke couldn't think of another word to describe them, as he looked into them, the tears falling from his yellow eyes, doing little to hide the coldness of his mates eyes. The only thing he knew or understood was that he feared them. Moving farther back, Sasuke watched as Naruto turned his gaze to Kakuzu, when the other came running at him. Without hesitation, Naruto grabbed the wolf by the head and slammed him hard against the ground. When Kakuzu tried to weakly free himself, Naruto rammed his other clawed hand into Kakuzu's back, directly above the spine, causing the other to cry out. Without hesitation, Naruto fisted his hand and pulled, the crack that followed haunting Sasuke with the brutality. Forever more, Sasuke would remember this day as he watched his mate lose control, tearing Kakuzu limb for limb. He'd forever more remember Kakuzu's screams as they faded. Forever remember the Naruto he knew becoming someone else.

"STOP!" Sasuke screamed, bringing Naruto's yellow gaze back to him. The blood red fur drenched by Kakuzu. "STOP!" He cried, unable to take his eyes off his mate, unable to stop seeing Kakuzu on the ground, no longer a full body. "Please stop!"

When Naruto moved toward him, Sasuke scrambled back, stopping when he could go no farther. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the fear from overcoming him. Couldn't stop himself from flinching when Naruto reached out a clawed hand toward him. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sasuke held his breath as Naruto leaned toward him, waiting for something.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, his voice rough and thick. "For everything... for everyone... for her. I'm sorry." he sobbed as his arms pulled Sasuke in, holding him close, tears falling quickly down his face. "Oh god, Sasuke, I'm so sorry."

Sasuke froze, unable to move even if he wished to. Unable to comfort his mate. His body too afraid to do anything but wait for Naruto to make the next move. He opened his mouth to speak but not a word came forth. It was as if his voice was taken from him. The smell of blood invading as brushed against his skin, burning him. This blood... this smell... oh god...

"Sasuke..." Naruto said softly, pulling back, his gaze unchanging as the yellow shown brightly. When Sasuke still couldn't force himself to say a word, Naruto pulled back, slowly releasing his hold on the raven. "Go." he said finally, his eyes going empty once more, hiding everything from Sasuke. "Now." Naruto ordered, moving away from Sasuke.

Licking his lips, Sasuke stood slowly on shaky legs, the tree keeping him up. Keeping his eyes on Naruto, he moved slowly around the tree, the fear inside of him making it almost impossible to move. When he was almost on the other side of the tree, Naruto spoke up again.

"Hate me, little wolf. Hate me for doing this to you. Hate me so that I suffer for everything I have done to you... For what I have done to her."

"...Nar...Naru-Naruto?" Sasuke finally said, looking as his mate turned away from him, his back drenched in blood.

"She would have been beautiful." Naruto said softly, confusing Sasuke.

"Who?" he asked softly.

"Our daughter." was all Naruto said, looking over his shoulder, the agony in his eyes bringing a gasp from Sasuke, as tears sprang forth. Daughter? They were having a daughter? Before he could voice his questions, Naruto turned away once more. "LEAVE!" He snarled, making Sasuke turn and run, tears falling down his own face. An image of a little girl passing through his head. Her red hair flying about as she ran in a meadow. Gasping, Sasuke fell to his knees as her dark eyes went from laughing to crying as she turned and said good-bye, fading away like a falling star.

"NO!" He sobbed when she disappeared. "NO!" he screamed again, holding himself as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, feeling so empty, knowing a little girl with red hair and dark eyes should have been there. "My baby! I want my baby!" He howled to the sky.

**{:}**

"Is it over?" Someone asked from within the mass of people as they sat in the gym of the school. "I don't hear anything. Are we safe?" they asked when no one answered.

"Did we win?" another asked as people began to move, the fear in their watery eyes seen clearly.

"How could we have won if so many of us died?" Another said softly, tears falling down her face without end. "Is it really winning if our family is dead? If everyone we loved is gone."

"Enough." Shikamaru called out, watching the door as he held a protective hand over his belly. Where are you Kiba? he wondered as he prayed for his mate to come through that door. He knew he was still alive, but little else. Please be okay. We need you. Why wasn't he coming in yet?

He had tried to run back out to Kiba, to help him, but someone had grabbed him and dragged him into the school. When he had fought to get to his mate, he had been pushed and dragged back. He had screamed and demanded to be let go, but the only answer he received were 'those weren't the orders'.

In tears, he had allowed himself to be pulled into the crowd of submissives, to be comforted by someone, but his eyes had yet to leave the door.

"How can you be so calm? Everyone we love is dying!" another wolf shouted, bringing more tears to everyone's eyes. "Our oldest generation is all but gone and the youngest is barely hanging on!"

"It's their fault!" yet another shouted. "Hidan and Naruto. They brought this to us. They killed our packs! If not for them, this wouldn't have happened!"

"You can't blame them-"

"We can!" someone else cut them off. "If not for them, our village would be whole! Those monsters wouldn't have come if they hadn't shown up first!"

"Enough!" Kiba growled as he was helped in by Hinata and Shino. "They are our clansmen. We do not turn on our own!"

"Kiba!" Shikamaru shouted, running to his mate's side, hugging him for all he was worth. "Oh god, Kiba." He sobbed into his mate's chest. Feeling Kiba's hands go around him, Shikamaru held him even tighter, afraid that if he let go he'd be back in that nightmare.

"What is to become of us?" Kurenai asked, moving toward them. "What of our village? Our people?"

"We send our dead to their final journey." Shino stated. "Afterwards, we gather together and mourn their losses and celebrate their lives and every thing that they gave to our people."

"And the newcomers?" Konohamaru asked, the young nine year old, covered in dirt and blood, tears streaks covering his face.

"We mourn them too." Izuna whispered, bringing everyone's gaze to him. "We mourn the loss of them as well." he went on, his gaze filled with sorrow and heartache.

"But they brought this-"

"And they died to save us too." Tobirama cut off the angry submissive. "They risked their lives for us, knowing they would die too. They fell first, giving us a chance."

"But they brought them here!"

"No one knew this would happen. No one knew they'd get into the safe house. Least of all them." Kiba growled, bringing silence to everyone. "They are our clan, our family and we mourn them as such. To me they were my brothers and my sisters. They were ours!"

"They were mine." Shino said, his voice filled with pain.

"As well as mine." Hinata said, taking her mate's hand in her own, her tears falling down her face as each wolf they she had known passed through her mind. Wondering how many more they would find dead or even alive after all this. "Remember them as we remember everyone else."

To that silence followed as the submissives watch their dominants fight to stay in control, but the tears falling down their faces were like their own. They suffered just as greatly as they did, and still they fought to keep their calm, knowing that was what they needed. Knowing that their actions helped them to function.

In the distance, one wolf's voice broke over the silent grounds. One pain filled howl raised above them all. A howl that spoke of great anguish. The howl was their voice in the darkening sky. It was their suffering in one body. It was as if the wolf that sang to the sky had captured all of their own heartbreak and took it upon himself.

But Kiba knew it was more then that. He knew which wolf had broken the silence. Knew which wolf had so much pain in their body. Unable to stop himself, to hold it all together, Kiba howled his pain along with the other, along with Sasuke. Howled everything he couldn't bottle away, toward the heavens. Slowly, one by one, voices joined theirs. The harmony never failing as others took up the call, crying as their melody spread over the room, and throughout the town.

**{:}**

Hidan sat on the mattress in the basement, his lovers in his arms as they each held his children between them. Their tears falling to his chest, neither of them making a noise. His guilt of what had become of the town just as strong as the sadness in his heart. He hated himself. Hated what he had caused to this poor village who's only mistake was accepting him. The pups stayed quiet as if they knew that silence was needed now. Two daughters and a son, born in a world of chaos, the future of their town... and yet Hidan's only regret was that they carried his blood, that they were born from his seed, the seed of a monster.

"Do you hear that?" Deidara whispered quietly, lifting his tear stained face toward the stairs. Tilting his head, Hidan heard it clearly. The howling of their wolves as they mourned their loss. Never in his life had he heard such pained filled emotion coming from such a beautiful lullaby.

As his mates listened quietly to the howls, Hidan fought a battle within himself. He didn't deserve them. Didn't deserve their town or their people. He had brought hell to their doorsteps. Unable to keep touching them, knowing their village's blood was on his hands, he stood up, heading toward the stairs.

"Hidan?" Haku asked, his voice shaky.

Hidan heard them stand, heard their footsteps following his own.

"Where are you going?" Itachi asked softly.

"Stay here." Hidan said as he climbed the stairs, never looking back, unable to see their beautiful faces filled with tears because of him. "Just stay here."

"Wait!" Deidara shouted, but whatever else he was going to say went unheard as Hidan closed the door to the basement, separating them. Looking toward the kitchen he saw the blood, smelt death lingering in the air.

When something wet touched his face, Hidan lifted his hand and gently wiped it away, only for another to take it's place. Tears. Gasping, Hidan stumbled into the wall, as the pain overcame him. Unable to stop, he covered his mouth with his hand an cried. His voice unable to do anything but allow his torment to escape in a way it had never done before. "It's all my fault..."

**{:}**

It was weeks before the smell of death and blood barley lingered in the air. The pain and heartache was thick as what was left of the town began to rebuild the place they cherished so much. The tears fell freely as each and every fallen shifter was placed in the ground, a headstone standing tall and proud as the once small cemetery grew quickly in such a short amount of time. Cries of anguish were heard as little coffins were sent below. And the howling of their village was heard for miles on end. Children held tightly to their parents resting place as parents dug their fingers into the freshly dug ground of their own young.

When it came time to be rid of the enemy, no bodies could be found and all suspected it was Naruto that took them with him as he too disappeared without a trace. Hidan had held himself ready for the wolves to attack. He had expected the dominates to cast him out of their village, he had prepared to leave his mates, to leave his children without hesitation so that they would be protected from the blame, had even prepared a bag and started to leave, when Kiba had stopped him. Without a word, the proud wolf had fallen to his knee. Bleeding and broken, Kiba had knelt and waited. Stunned, Hidan had watched as every wolf followed Kiba's lead, pleading their alliance to him. From the youngest wolf the the oldest, each waited for Hidan's acceptance.

It was Itachi, who had pushed his way to the front, that had slapped him and called him an idiot for trying to leave. He had demanded that Hidan take responsibility for his clan and make it whole again. With tears in his eyes, Itachi had shouted and cursed Hidan for trying to leave like Naruto had. He had told him that the whole town needed him and if Hidan couldn't see that, they'd break his legs. Deidara had moved toward them as well, Haku staying back with all three newborns in a stroller given to them by Mikoto, and had told Hidan that he had a family to look after now. That he wasn't going to be a deadbeat dad that left his babies without a father.

Without a word, Itachi took his bag and threw it on the floor, daring Hidan to pick it up. With a small smile on his lips, Hidan had pulled both of his mates close and for the second time in his life, he cried again.

It didn't take long for the rest of the pack to surround them, allowing Haku to move toward them with the children. For a day, what was left of their home stayed in the comforting arms of their clan, crying for the lost. When the sun fell, each wolf became one, their ties binding them to one alpha. For the first time in ever, the young felt the beating hearts of the old and the old felt the beautiful souls of the young.

But Hidan knew that though this was only the beginning to a new start, the heartache and the shock of this battle would linger for years to come. It would be felt for centuries, remembered and compared to hell as the young turned old and their memories moved on to the future wolves to come, by then, hopefully bringing less heartbreak.

Until then, all the clan could do was move forward.

**{:}**

"Sasuke?" Itachi called out, knocking on the door to his brother's room. In his arms, his daughter, Naori, slept peacefully, unaware of the torment and disbelief that thickened the air. "Sasuke, can you hear me?" Itachi asked, knocking again. In answer, all he heard was the bed creak once before everything went silent. Reaching for the door knob, surprised to find it unlocked, Itachi walked into the room. The room was dark, the air stale. There was another scent but for some reason Itachi wasn't able to make it out. Once his eyes adjusted, he moved toward the bed. "Sasuke, this isn't healthy for you." he called out.

In answer, the lump on the bed only pulled the blanket tighter around his body. He had no idea what his little brother was going through. Unlike Sasuke, he was able to hold his daughter. All his little brother had were images given to him by his mate. A mate that had disappeared a month ago. He knew Sasuke was in shock, unable to process Naruto's absents, but eventually he'd find the blonde dominant gone, and Itachi feared what would happen then.

"I brought Naori to visit you," he said as he moved toward the window. "It's a bit dark in here to see her." he went on as if Sasuke spoke. Pulling the thick curtain open, Itachi placed a hand above his daughter's face to keep the flying dust off her face. When it entered his nose he sneezed repeatedly. "I'm opening the window." he said quickly doing just that. At once fresh air, that no longer carried the scent of death, came through. "This isn't healthy." he said again, turning to find his brother staring at the wall opposite of him.

Moving toward him once more, Itachi stood in front of his brother. Sasuke's eyes were red and swollen, unblinking as he replayed whatever he was seeing again and again. His face was thin, his hair greasy. Tear streaks were dried long ago onto his face. His long fingers clutched tightly to blue fabric that Itachi made out as one of Naruto's shirts.

"Sasuke, please answer me." Itachi begged, sitting on the bed, looking at his brother. "Naori would like to see you. You haven't officially met her." he went on. From the moment the fight was over, Sasuke had been absent, long lost in his own hell. When they had found him days later crying nonstop about his lost child, Hidan had brought him to their home. In the middle of burying their dead, and rebuilding their home, Sasuke had sneak away and came here, to their parents home. Taking a breath, Itachi willed the tears away when he looked around the room and realized his mother and father wouldn't be calling them down for dinner. That his mother wouldn't walk into their rooms and ask about their lives. That their father wouldn't try to put the fear of death in their unflinching mates. Wiping at his own tears, Itachi looked down at his daughter when she began to move. "She's waking up, Sasuke. She looks like Mother." he whispered fondly, biting back a sob that his mother wouldn't be able to hold his daughter.

She had been so excited to find out he was carrying. She had gone crazy and bought so much stuff for his, Haku's and Deidara's children, that Hidan's home had become overflowing with stuff. She and his father had talked about babysitting when Itachi needed a break. His mother had built plans around his child's birth, and now all of them would never be done. "She's beautiful. A Uchiha all the way. She doesn't cry as much as Shion," he smiled through the tears, thinking of Deidara's beautiful daughter. "But she isn't as broody as Sumaru." he chuckled, recalling Haku's son's constant frown. It was as if he had the whole world on his little shoulders. "She loves being held-"

"Shut up." Sasuke whispered, closing his eyes.

"Sasuke-"

"Shut up!" he shouted as more tears fell. "I don't want to know! I don't want to know anything!"

"Sasuke, please-" Itachi tried again.

"I don't have my daughter, Itachi. I don't get to know if she cries or not. I don't get to see her or hold her. I don't get to bathe her! I don't get to see her grow up! What makes you think I want to see you live with what I can't have!" Sasuke sobbed, holding Naruto's shirt tighter. "It isn't fair! I just want my baby! I want my perfect family too!"

"Sasuke, I'm sorry." Itachi said, crying with his brother.

"Go away!" Sasuke snapped, turning away from him. "Just go away!"

In the silence that followed, Itachi got up and walked toward the door, biting his lip hard enough to bleed it. "I'm sorry about your daughter. I know she would have been beautiful. I know she would have been brave and strong because she was brave and strong enough to do what she did. I wish things would have been differently, that none of this would have happened, but Sasuke, wishing and reality aren't going to come hand in hand. I'm sorry, you don't know how sorry I am, but please Sasuke... Please don't do this to yourself. She didn't give you a second chance at life to waste it away. She knew you and Naruto were meant for great things. She may not be here physically but in your heart, she is there. She will always be there." Turning to look at his shaking brother's form, Itachi went on. "I hope one day, when he comes back, you will both be just as brave and strong as your daughter. I hope that one day you two will live the life she knew you two were meant to have."

When Sasuke said nothing in reply, Itachi turned to look at his own daughter, her eyes watching him with a small smile on her face. With a smile of his own, he wondered what he would have done had it been Naori who had given her life up for him. Quickly he shook that thought away, not wanting to know. For he knew he'd be just as bad as Sasuke was.

Moving toward the stairs, Itachi paused when he saw Hidan climbing up. With a kiss to his temple and one to Naori's smiling face, Hidan moved passed him, heading into Sasuke's room, closing the door behind him. Unsure of what was going on, Itachi turned and moved to the first floor, leaving as quietly as he arrived.

**{:}**

"We found him." Hidan said, watching Sasuke. The little wolf making no move to acknowledge him. "We thought he'd head to our old home, and we were wrong. He stopped there but didn't stay. Instead he moved on to another village. He left before we could get there. We'll..." Hidan stopped as he sniffed the air. He knew that scent, but that couldn't be right. Sasuke had said he lost his daughter, but... Was there another child? "Sasuke..." he said softly, the shock of his voice making Sasuke look at him, seeing him for the first time. "You're pregnant..."

"Wh-what?"

**{:}**

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Gaara asked, sitting beside his mate. His beautiful Neji lost to the world in a coma that wouldn't let the brown wolf free. Even months after the attack, his belly growing with their child, Neji still unable to shift to his human form, was lost to him. It had taken many weeks to get his mate stable. Just a few days longer then that to know their child still fought weakly inside to live on.

Gaara didn't quite remember much of the day he killed Kabuto. Didn't remember much of what he did to keep Neji breathing long enough to find a healer to take Tsuande's place until the she-wolf was well enough to take over.

"I'm looking into everything I can get my hand on." Tsuande said, clicking away on a keyboard with a little bit of difficulty. One would think after a few months of losing her hand she'd be used to this but instead it seemed to become more unbearable. On days where she couldn't think straight, she'd grab a glass of whiskey and cry. Of course, Gaara would send someone to go find her and force her to work to save his mate. She'd come back angry and screaming but in the end, she knew Gaara was doing this for her as much as himself. Neji was the only patient left in her hospital. The wolves that had come soon after the battle had quickly healed once all the packs had joined together, but not Neji. Something was holding him back.

"I found more notes to go over." Dan, a new wolf that had arrived as if by magic after the battle. To the relief of everyone, they were all overjoyed to know that Dan was also a doctor, and that his young daughter Shizune was training to be one.

"Where's your daughter?" Tsuande asked not seeing the younger wolf anywhere. The girl was a sweet submissive. That she was a doctor was surprising, but Dan had said that many dominants felt better and calmer if a submissive looked after their mates.

"She's looking into a few last minute things to prepare for the birth." Dan said looking toward Neji.

"There is no other way?" Gaara asked, knowing that Dan was referring to the C-section that they would perform on his mate in a few more weeks. Had it been that long? He wondered. It felt only like yesterday that he had smelt his child in Neji and now he was preparing for his son or daughter to arrive.

"Not if you wish to save them both." Tsuande answered knowing how hard it would be for Gaara to watch his mate suffer through such a thing. She still remembered Haku's, and the thought of another going through this, unable to have more children once this was done. The risk were also very dangerous, the silver being in constant contact could harm both Neji and the baby. "Shizune is doing all she can to make sure that everyone comes out okay." she promised him, know that the girl was doing just that. Dan's daughter wanted to be an expert in cesarean delivery. Wanting to be an obstetrician to begin with, it was only natural the girl would take to finding the safest way to deliver a baby regardless of the circumstances, or so Dan said.

"The silver could kill my child and my mate." Gaara growled, reaching out a hand to gently touch his mate's muzzle. "And has any wolf known to us given birth in this form?"

"Unable to birth the pup in his condition, would kill the baby and himself." Dan stated. "With this choice, we have a chance of saving them both. If Neji was to wake, we'd have him do it naturally, but the risk in this form... I'm not sure. I've never heard of a pup being born this way." moving closer to the red head, Dan went on. "Gaara, your pup is weak. That he's fought this long to hold on, is shocking. Anything we do now can go both ways. My daughter is pushing it 49/51 in our favor. She's stays up at all times of the day to push it even farther. I know that you're scared, that you fight us daily with every choice, proves that. I want you to know that we will do all we can to save your mate."

"And my pup?"Gaara asked, pushing his anger down at Dan's last statement.

After a few minutes of silence, Dan risked putting his hand on the dominant's tense shoulder, "I have no promises, none that will not sound false to even my own ears."

"Thank you." Gaara nodded unable to ask for more. Knowing that he could lose his child soon or he could lose both regardless of what he did.

"Daddy!" Shizune called out, a grin on her face as she ran into the room.

With a frown Gaara stood wondering what had happened to excite the submissive.

"Daddy! I know how to save the baby!"

**{:}**

"Natsushiboshi why are you so red?

Because I had a sad dream last night

my eyes are red from the tears I shed

swollen as I cried.

Natsushiboshi why've you lost your way

I'm searching for a child who's gone afar

he can't be found though I searched all day

my sad dreams come once more."

Rubbing a soothing hand over his belly, Sasuke sat beside his window, watching the clear sky, as the melody played on repeat in his head. Shifting to a more comfortable position, he rested his forehead against the window, seeing his reflection looking back. He didn't recognize himself. Didn't see how those dark broken eyes were his. Didn't see how that pale sickly face belong to him. Touching his reflection gently, he saw his eyes water. Slowly almost against his will, he saw another face in the window. His dark hair became blonde, his black eyes were blue. His pale features now tan. And blood. Blood splattered across his face. The eyes filling with their own tears as he told Sasuke to leave.

Closing his eyes, he turned his face away, unable to get the last image of his mate out of his mind. No, the last image of that monster. That wasn't his mate. That thing wasn't Naruto. Naruto would never have torn a man to pieces. His mate was strong and just... not that.

Naruto was gone... No matter what Hidan said, or how long it took Kakashi to bring him back. Naruto wasn't coming back. Catching his breath at that thought, Sasuke held a hand over his mouth trying to hold back the sobs.

When the baby began to move again, almost frantically, Sasuke tried to calm himself down. But no matter what he did, he couldn't forget... His daughter wasn't coming back. His little Honoka, his baby angel was gone. Gone before he could hold her. In the memories Naruto had given him. He felt her in his arms, saw her as they played. He felt her kiss on his face and saw her leave with a family he'd never see again.

Moving to the floor, Sasuke curled into himself as he held his belly with his other baby within. He loved this baby, he loved it so much, but he felt cheated. Honoka should have been inside of him. His beautiful little girl should be growing within him. He hated himself for wishing that this unknown child had taken her place. He had seen his daughter, through Naruto's eyes. Had held her, not this one. He loved Honoka so much it hurt. He knew he would love this one too, but he blamed this child for not taking Honoka's place.

Grabbing at his hair, Sasuke tried to hold back the scream, but it was no use. Unable to stop himself, he cried out. His voice not making any words.

"Sasuke!" he heard someone shout, running toward him. But it did little to stop the sob from breaking free. It did little as he fought to break free of the hold. "Stop, you're going to hurt yourself!"

"Let me die!" He shouted finally turning to see his brother's tear filled gaze looking back at him. "Let me go to my daughter!"

"What of your other child?" Itachi asked through trembling lips. "Don't they need you to?"

"I want my daughter!" Sasuke screamed, "Please give her back to me! Give me back my baby!"

"I can't Sasuke. I can't." Itachi whispered, holding Sasuke's sobbing form against his chest. Feeling his brother clutching the back of his shirt as he cried for a little girl that wouldn't come. As he cried for a family he'd never see.

"Please..." Sasuke said between tears. "Please... Please... Please..." Please make it stop. Please make it hurt less. Please save me. Please... bring me back Naruto...

"Sasuke..." Itachi called softly, running a soothing hand through his brother's hair. Closing his eyes tightly as he rocked his broken brother, knowing his tears were mixing with Sasuke's. He stayed their rocking Sasuke long after the sun had set. Holding him even as tears still fell down his young face in his troubled sleep. "I wish I could save you from all this." he whispered, looking at the night sky. "I wish I could make this all better."

"Itachi?" turning his head to see Hidan standing there. Itachi watched as his mate moved toward them, gently picking Sasuke up and placing him in bed. Pulling the blankets over his shaking form. "The baby will die if this continues." he said, turning to help Itachi up.

"I don't know what to do. He won't stay with Tsunade or with the new doctors. He always comes back here. He won't let them help him." Itachi cried, feeling as if he had the whole world on his shoulders. When Hidan's arms wrapped around him, he held back just as tightly. "Hidan, how do I help him?"

"You can't. The only one who can is Naruto." Hidan replied gently running a soothing hand up Itachi's back.

"Why isn't he coming back? This is his mate that's suffering. Isn't it in his blood to try to protect Sasuke from this?"

"I don't know why he's not coming back, Itachi. Kakashi is looking for him-"

"Then why hasn't he found him? You said he was in a village-"

"He left." Hidan cut him off. "Naruto doesn't want to come back. And if not for the tie that would kill Sasuke, I'm sure he would have taken his life."

"He's not suppose to act this way!" Itachi snapped through his tears, unable to believe the words Hidan was saying. "He's suppose to be holding Sasuke, telling him everything was okay-"

"Naruto doesn't know that. The bond between those two is fragile." Hidan cut him off again. "I didn't want to alarm anyone, but I can barely feel my brother. His scent is fading from Sasuke."

"Wh-what?" Itachi gasped, in shock. Was that even possible?

"I think Naruto is trying to find a way to unbind them. I think he believes that if he can do that, Sasuke would begin to get better. I think he believes the blame is all his and that if he can untie the knot that keeps them one, he came carry it all by himself."

"Hidan-"

"Sasuke isn't only suffering from the loss of his child, but the loss of his mate. A mate he feels getting farther and farther away."

"Why would he do this? Why is he hurting Sasuke like this?"

"Because Naruto's is suffering too." Hidan answered. "His wolf is breaking as is he and he doesn't know what to do anymore. In truth, love, I believe I would have done the same."

"Hidan?" Itachi gasped.

"We dominants can only do so much, can only hold on so long. Even we break." Hidan said, forcing Itachi to look at him. With a gentle hand under his chin, he kissed his mate. "Our daughter hasn't seen you all day. Go."

"But Sasuke-"

"I will be here for him."

Nodding, Itachi kissed his mate again and turned to leave. At the door he paused, "I love you."

"I love you too, Itachi." Hidan smiled watching as his mate left to start the short journey home. When his mate's steps faded, Hidan lost the small smile and turned to face Sasuke. The young wolf looking as if he were stuck in a nightmare. Moving to sit on the bed, Hidan reached out his hand to grasp Sasuke's. "I know you can hear me. No matter where you are, I know you can feel me. You might not understand or know what to do, but you need to come back home. You need to help your mate. I know it is asking too much, Naruto. Knowing that you blame yourself. I blame myself more. It is all my fault they are all gone. That you lost your child. It is my fault... Had I stayed away from here, never brought you here, none of this... we could have saved many lives." taking a breath, he used his other hand to move Sasuke's sweaty bangs away from his face, wiping the tears in the process. "Can you feel him? Do you know what he is going through? He needs you, brother. He needs you so much... Your child needs you. Did you know a child still lives in Sasuke's belly. A child is still fighting to live because of the gift your daughter gave you."

"Naruto, I'm not sure how long this child can hold on. I feel it fading. Sasuke isn't fighting to live anymore. The child knows that. It also knows that it's only chance at their survival is you." Hidan said, feeling his heart breaking. "You saved my son, you made me hold strong for him. And I will return the favor. I could not save your first child, but I will try all I can to save this one. I can't do it alone, Naruto. I need you here, brother. Sasuke needs you. Your baby needs you." looking away from the young wolf, Hidan spotted an article of clothing he had seen Naruto wear. Reaching for it he held the blue t-shirt tightly in his grasp. Feeling anger overcome him, his eyes shifting to his wolf's, he said. "This is what has become of him! This shirt is his life line to you! This piece of clothing that should mean nothing is the only thing holding him strong! What happens when the scent fades! What happen when he can no longer smell you!"

Relaxing his hold, he stretched the shirt out and gently placed it over Sasuke's sleeping form. "Hear me, wolf. I am your alpha." he stated, watching Sasuke jerk with the power of his voice. "Come to me."

**{:}**

"Come to me."

Naruto jumped with a start, his heart beating like crazy as the cold desert breeze moved over him. Lifting his muzzle his yellow gaze trying to find the source of that noise he waited.

"Hear me."

Standing the blood red wolf took a few steps forward. What was that noise? Who was that person speaking to him. Baring his teeth, he growled softly, daring them to... to what?

"You are needed here."

Where were they, what were they?

"Sasuke needs you."

Snarling again, Naruto backed up, turning in another circle.

"Your baby needs you."

"I know you hear me."

Where were they?

"Save them." With a grunt Naruto fell back, the desert fading to show him a raven haired wolf shivering alone in a bedroom, who was that? What was happening? "Save them."

Jumping at the sound to his right, he saw a panting outline of a silver wolf staring right at him, his teeth bared, and eyes narrowed. Not knowing who this wolf was, Naruto lowered his head and snarled, his hair rising down his back.

"I don't know what happened to you brother," the wolf said taking a human shape, "If not for the link that lead me hear, I would not believe you are Naruto." When the human walked toward him, Naruto took a step back, pawing at the ground. "You can attack me, Naruto, but you cannot hurt me. I'm not really here." Panting the wolf shook his head, looking toward the sleeping wolf on the bed. "Do you see him? He is your mate."

Following the other's gaze. Naruto wondered how that was possible. He had no mate.

"This new form you have... this wolf is clouding your judgment. You know him. You love him. He is heavy with your pup."

Pup? Taking a step toward the sleeping wolf, Naruto paused. No his pup was dead. He saw her.

"Will you let this one die to?" the other asked him. "Will you allow Sasuke to suffer through another death?"

Sasuke? Like a movie, pictures of his raven flashed through his mind. The first time he saw him. The first time they spoke. He saw the battle he fought as he tried so hard to bring him back to life. He saw the joy on his face when he ran from the porch, jumping into his arms. He saw him in battle fighting to stay alive. The last image to come was the tears in his eyes as he was forced to watch Naruto tearing Kakuzu apart. Blinking his gaze, Naruto found himself standing beside Sasuke's bed.

Tears had dried on his face. When he went to brush the remaining tears away, his hand went through his mate. "What is happening?"

"You are not here, Naruto." Hidan said coming up behind him. "I need you to come back. For him. For them." he said reaching down to remove the blanket off of Sasuke's belly to show the bump beneath.

"A baby."

"Your daughter saved your lives for you and for her sibling." Hidan said as Naruto eyes filled with tears. "You need to come home. You need to come back with Kakashi."

"I don't want to hurt Sasuke anymore." Naruto whispered as he fell to his knees beside his sleeping mate. "I can't hurt him anymore."

"You only hurt him by staying away. You're killing him Naruto." Hidan said watching his brother sob into the back of his hand. "Your wolf, the other one, is breaking the tie to him. It's draining him. At first I thought it was you, but now I know it's this other one, This other wolf is trying to save you by breaking you from this, from him. Come home Naruto. Tie yourself to your mate and come home." Hidan said as his form flickered in and out. Looking at Sasuke, Naruto watched his little wolf fading from him.

"No!" he shouted, reaching for him. "Sasuke!"

Standing, Naruto jumped onto the bed, trying and failing to touch his mate. "Sasuke! I'm sorry! Sasuke!" he screamed as Hidan faded completely away. "Sasuke!" he called again, knowing that if he let Sasuke go now, he'd never see him again. How had he let this happen? How had he let this other wolf take over him? "Sasuke, I love you." he cried "I love you little wolf. I love you!"

"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered softly, his eyes opening slowly.

"I love you." Naruto cried, moving so that he could see into Sasuke's eyes.

"Naruto..." Sasuke said, his eyes drifting close. "Don't leave...me..."

"I won't. I'm coming home, little wolf. I'm coming home." Naruto promised as Sasuke's outline began to fade.

"Natsushiboshi why are you so red?" Sasuke sang softly a small smile on his face, as the last of him faded away.

With a gasp, Naruto's eyes opened to the desert all around him. Standing on shaky legs, Naruto looked down at himself, the blood red fur covering where the gold should have been.

"No!" he howled as he tried in vane to change his fur. To become gold instead of red. "Make it stop!" he begged wanting to lose this form, to become human or wolf, but not this.

"Naruto!"

Turning at the sound of his name, Naruto found Kakashi looking at him in shock. "Naruto, can you hear me?"

"Help me, Kakashi." Naruto cried. "Please help me."

"I have to get you home first. They have doctors that can help you, Naruto." Kakashi said soothingly, moving to the red hybrid. When Naruto fell to his knees, Kakashi cautiously put a hand on Naruto's furry head. "Let's get you home Naruto." he said.

"Please."

**{:}**

"Are you sure that's possible?" Dan asked in disbelief. "Shizune, what you're saying is impossible."

"No, it makes perfect sense. Neji is lost in this form, unable to wake up. If we force another form onto him, it'll cause him to change back. To take control of himself and wake up. When he does he can go into a natural birth."

"But how would one go about doing this?" Tsuande asked, unable to process what the girl was saying. Had those long nights finally pushed the girl over the edge.

"We need someone willing to sacrifice their wolf to bring him back. To push this wolf out of him and to take their wolf for his own. The risk to the baby are slim to none. It'll be like changing clothes. When Neji does shift, it won't be this wolf you see but the one given to him." Shizune smiled happily.

"Are you sure it's possible?" Gaara asked, hope flaring inside of him. Could Neji be given back to him? Could he be saved?

"Yes. Think of it like when an Alpha pushes you to change. How you're human one second and wolf the next. It'll be the same thing but instead of being forced to be human, he'd be forced to take another wolf's form. One that isn't stuck in his own personal hell. Even if the other wolf that takes his wolf's place is in pain, it won't hurt him. It'll be like a new wolf is being born."

"Say we can do this, what happens to the wolf that's giving Neji a new form?" Dan asked his daughter.

"Well, they lose it. They can't become wolf anymore-"

"I'll do it." Gaara said.

"Gaara-"

"You can't." Shizune shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because you need a really strong dominant to force the change. One that can do this and not die."

"Die?" Tsuande gasped.

"There isn't any risk to Neji, but to the wolf that does this... He or she is giving up a part of their life, ripping themselves in two so to speak. A wolf with a lot of power, willing to give Neji his wolf, can save his life."

"No wolf would give up his second form for a wolf not mated to them." Dan told his daughter.

"Daddy, that's the only way." Shizune whispered. "If we can't do this, Neji will die along with the baby. The silver will kill them both."

"But the 49/51-"

"It's pushing the other way now. The chances of the c-section saving one or both have dropped. I ran more test on Neji so that I keep everything as updated as I possible... If we don't do this, Neji will die no matter what we do."

"What wolf is strong enough to do this? And who would do this?" Dan asked Gaara as the red head lost all color in his face.

"The only one that can, would be Hidan." Tsunade answered as she turned her gaze away from Gaara, the tears building and falling on his mate as he placed his forehead against Neji's.

"Then we ask Hidan!" Shizune said getting excited again.

"You can't." Gaara said gruffly. "Hidan's the strongest wolf here. He's holding the whole pack together. If he were to do this, the calm and peace that he's been pushing on everyone to keep them from going completely crazy will break away. The whole town would suffer."

"But he's the only one!" Shizune stated.

"Can I not do this?" Gaara asked the girl, tears still in his eyes. "Can I not risk my life and force him to take my wolf?"

"Gaara, but he's your mate. He's going to need you. The baby's going to need you."

"My wolf will protect them. Shizune, I beg you to take my wolf to save my family."

"Gaara..."

"Let us talk to Hidan first." Tsunade said. "Maybe he knows of other wolves-"

"Who would risk their life for a wolf they do not know?" Gaara asked.

"Please let us talk to Hidan." Dan begged. "Maybe he can give you some of his power to help you."

"When does this need to happen?" Gaara asked Shizune.

"I can have everything ready by the end of the week."

Nodding Gaara turned back to Neji. "Speak to Hidan, tell him what we plan to do."

"I'm on my way." Tsuande said, moving to do just that.

"Are you sure, Shizune?" Dan asked his daughter, running a hand down her face, a face so similar to his late wife.

"Yes, father."

"Then let us get ready."

**{:}**

Sasuke sat on the porch watching the woods, waiting like he once did for the man he loved. He knew Naruto would arrive today. Knew that he would be coming home. He dreamed of him last night. And in that dream his mate had loved him, had become himself again. This other wolf that had forced his mate to go mad had taken refuge in the back of Naruto's mind and for the first time in months Sasuke had felt his lover. Had felt the ties binding them, getting tighter. For the first time in months he had woken up with a smile on his face, the grief that once held him tightly had parted enough to allow him to breathe.

Seeing a flash of red in the distance, Sasuke stood with a little difficulty and moved to the edge of the porch, taking the steps carefully.

When the red color made an appearance again, Sasuke gasped as he finally saw his mate. Naruto was stuck in the half man half wolf form, the color of his fur the same as his daughter's hair... the same as the wolf she would have carried. His eyes though were no longer yellow. Instead they were the blue that Sasuke had fallen in love with.

When Naruto made no move to come closer, Sasuke felt a tear fall down his face as he moved toward his mate instead. With a smile breaking over his face and a sob escaping his lips, he moved as quickly as he could to his mate.

It was then that Naruto moved toward him, reaching him quickly as he fell to his knees and his giant body held Sasuke close, his own tears falling down his muzzle as he cried into Sasuke's hair.

"My little wolf," Naruto whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, Naruto. I love you so much." Sasuke cried, hugging his mate close. The monster he had seen in the woods fighting Kakuzu may have had the same form. But this one belonged to his mate. This one was his Naruto.

"I'm sorry for everything, little wolf. I'm so sorry."

"Don't leave me anymore. Don't leave us anymore." he said softly, pulling back as he placed one of Naruto's giant hands on his belly.

"Never." Naruto promised.

**{:}**

"No," Hidan bit out, staring down the glaring red head.

"I have to save his life!"

"By risking yours? No."

"How dare you! Neji-"

"Tsunade told me all of this and I refuse to allow you to go through with this. Do not speak she-wolf." He said stopping Shizune before she could so much as utter a word. "The risk is too great. Even if I were to supply my power and that of the pack, you'd die."

"It's the only way." Gaara snarled. "It's the only way I can save his life!"

"No."

"Kiba tell him, tell him that you would do the same if Shikamaru was in Neji's place." Gaara said turning to his long time friend. The carefree wolf he once knew looking older than he was. The scars from the battle showing on his body, his wolf unable to heal them. "Shikamaru carries your child, he's to have your pup next month. Tell me you wouldn't do all you could to make sure both come out alive?"

"I would do everything in my power to make sure Shika and my pup survived." Kiba said softly, looking toward the sleeping wolf in the next room where Dan was keeping an eye on him.

"What of you Hidan? Would-"

"I already faced my hell, Gaara. You will not throw me into another." Hidan snarled, his eyes shifting slightly. "My hell follows me with each person I see. Their nightmares they suffer, I make sure I take the blunt of those attacks through our links. I see death, I feel it and live it every time one of them sleeps. I give myself in their place daily so that these wolves can get their feet back under them and begin to move on. Do you not think I know how it feels to suffer at the thought of losing your loved one? I suffer when I think of what could have happened to my mates. I suffer when I constantly put myself in Ino's dreams to keep the death of her mate from killing her or their child. I suffer when I force the older wolves out of their dreams and bring them my way. And I do this because it's all I can do to keep them sane. To give something back after all I had taken from them. Don't give me what if's, Gaara, because I live them every day and night."

"Hidan..." Gaara gasped unable to say more, looking toward Neji sleeping. "I have to save him. I can't lose them." with tears filling his gaze, Gaara turned back to look at Hidan. "What would you have me do instead?"

"Let me take your place." came a deep growl like answer. Turning everyone found a half wolf half man walking toward them. His form bigger than all of theirs, taking up the hallway as he hunched over to walk properly. To his right, Sasuke walked beside him, gently holding onto his giant clawed hand as his other hand rested on his belly.

"Naruto?" Kiba gasped in shock when the duo stopped in front of them.

"This form is one I do not wish to keep, but at the same time we hold very close to our hearts." Naruto said, shifting his body to the right so that Sasuke could move in front of him.

"Naruto is stronger than Hidan." Sasuke said softly, "And with an extra form to spare." he went on, running a loving hand over Naruto's furry arm. "We would be honored if Neji were to take it and cherish it as his own."

"Why?" Gaara asked, "Why do this?"

"Because this wolf is keeping my mate from becoming himself again." Sasuke answered.

"Our daughter gave us this wolf." Naruto went on. "This spirit is hers, her dominant with my own keeps me from becoming myself. She did what she could to save our lives. I only wish to save yours now."

"Thank you." Gaara said letting his tears fall as he wiped them away. "Thank you so much."

"It is what she would have wanted, Gaara." Naruto said, moving toward the room that Shizune was gesturing toward. "Keep it safe, wolf." he ordered, pausing to look down at Gaara before he ducked and moved inside the room. Before any could follow Shizune had Dan and Tsuande close the door and the curtains.

"Sasuke-"

"I lost my daughter. Honoka sacrificed her little life to save ours. She gave her wolf to Naruto and in turn, made him become this hybrid. He cannot change back, his mind barely coming back after being pulled apart by two dominants. But his body... his body can only be this hybrid. I love him, and I love my daughter, but she would not want anyone to die if she could save them. Please keep her wolf safe. Even as it becomes Neji's, please protect it."

"I vow it." Gaara promised.

**{:}**

"Are you ready?" Shizune asked Naruto as the red wolf crouched down by Neji, as the young doctor checked a few machines over, each one connected to Neji.

"Tell me what you want me to do."

"Send your wolf into him. Chase out his own form and give him a new one." she answered, clasping her hands together. "It will be dangerous, but if you keep calm and let it happen, let your wolf lead, everything will be okay."

Nodding Naruto placed his hand gently on the wolf's head. Before he could so much as send his wolf forward, he gasped. He saw Honoka sitting in the meadow, watching him as she hugged her knees. A smile covered her lips as she watched him back. He saw her waving before a red form began to take shape beside her. A beautiful wolf, unlike any other, stood proud and tall, her body graceful and delicate, and yet fierce at the same time. When he turned back to his daughter he found her gone, the warmth she left behind feeling his heart.

With tears falling down his face, he found the red wolf running toward him, her speed picking up and when she was close enough, she bunched up her legs and jumped.

With a grunt he felt the wolf moving through him, the power she held, the love she carried, carrying onto him and through Sasuke, gently, almost as if it was saying goodbye.

Falling to his knees, the meadow fading away, Naruto watched as the wolf beneath him began to shift. The sleek beautiful wolf, fading as the red fur overtook brown. It felt like a life time before the brown that Neji once had, became a blood red wolf.

With a gasp, Neji's eyes opened staring straight into Naruto's. Before Naruto could stand, Gaara was in the room, holding his mate as Neji shifted forms again, his body going from wolf to his human one.

"Neji?" Gaara whispered through his tears, holding him gently.

"Gaara?" Neji said back, lifting his hand as if it weighed more than it should to gently touch his mate's face. "Gaara, everything feels so fuzzy, like I can't remember something."

"It's okay, Neji. I'll help you remember." Gaara sobbed through a grin, kissing his mate as he ran his hand down his back, moving to cradle his belly. "I love you, baby."

"I love you." Neji smiled back tiredly, holding Gaara close.

**{:}**

"Naruto?" Sasuke called kneeling beside his mate.

"I'm fine Sasuke...Did you see her?" He asked as he pulled his mate into his human arms. Resting his head against Sasuke's own.

"I saw her." Sasuke answered, hugging his mate back. Feeling the familiar body he hadn't felt in so long. "She was beautiful."

"Her wolf will take care of him now." Naruto said quietly helping Sasuke to stand as they looked over at Gaara and Neji. Knowing that everything would be alright again.

"I know." Sasuke nodded, happy to know that he still had a piece of his daughter with them in a way. Feeling his baby kick, Sasuke reached for Naruto's hand and placed it on his belly. When the smile on Naruto's face turned into a grin and tears gathered in his eyes, Sasuke knew that nothing would take this away from them.

That though they lost many, had their hearts torn to pieces, and were still rebuilding and growing as they followed one wolf, Sasuke knew they'd only come away stronger. That no matter what happened, Naruto would be there with him. That Naruto would never leave him again.

That Gaara and Neji would go on to live a happy life with their growing family, and though Neji didn't remember much from the last few months, that they'd still be alright. Honoka's wolf would see to that.

He knew that Kiba and Shikamaru would be okay. That though Shikamaru hadn't wanted to be pregnant this early, he knew the wolf wouldn't change it for the world.

He knew that many of their friends and family would begin to see the light in the darkness and it was thanks many times over to the one wolf that started this off. Turning, Sasuke found Hidan leaving the room without saying a word, most likely heading home to his family He knew Hidan would always carry the burden of the town's history on his shoulders even beyond the grave, and that Naruto would help him and aid him as much as possible.

Even then, Sasuke knew that their family, though small, would grow once more. That they would continue to grow and get stronger. That this part of history would grow to hurt a little less as the future of the pack became something that each of them could look forward to.

Looking toward the window, Sasuke found the clear blue sky shining over the town, the rays of the sun chasing away the shadows. Just like the future would chase away the past.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called, as Sasuke leaned against him.

"Let's go home, Naruto." Sasuke said, turning his head to look at his mate. Home to rebuild their lives. To rebuild the place his parents had loved as much as they loved each other.

"Of course, little wolf." Naruto smiled moving them to leave the room filled with happy wolves and Kiba standing to the side looking like a proud parent. And in a way he was. For once, not so long ago, this pack was his to oversee. "Lead us home, little wolf."


End file.
